


Compendium

by Dancingdog



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angels and Demons AU, Canon Compliant, Drabbles, M/M, Multi, Multiple Pairings, Sexuality misunderstandings, Wingfic, lots of AUs, wedding crashers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-06
Updated: 2016-08-22
Packaged: 2018-07-12 16:07:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 31,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7112881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dancingdog/pseuds/Dancingdog
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A place for me to put SPN drabbles and AU ideas that may or may not turn into full length fics.<br/> </p><p>  <em>Chapter 6: Dean, Sam and Cas are about to be murdered by some unimportant demons and angels. But Sam remembers that Dean isn't allowed to be killed because he's mated to the archangel Gabriel. It's news to Dean considering the archangel is dead. But he can roll with it. </em></p><p> <br/><em>Chapter 7: Dean is a servant to Prince Cas but after a witch's spell forces him to admit his feelings, Dean freaks out and runs away, where he meets the sorcerer, Benny. Benny and Dean fall in love, but Cas soon reappears and Dean has a choice to make...(whole fic under separate work of same title)</em></p><p> </p><p> </p><p>  <em>Chapter 8: Heterosexual Sam visits a speed dating bar and realises something has gone wrong when a blue-eyed man is set up as his partner. They build a friendship despite the awkward start but when Castiel meets an old threat from his past, Sam finds he might not be as straight at he thought...</em></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Wedding Crasher - Destiel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Chapter 1: Dean crashes Castiel's wedding. Castiel doesn't want to get married._

In Dean’s opinion, if one worked hard, one should also play hard.

That’s why one of his favourite past times was attending weddings of complete strangers in the hopes of getting lucky with one of the bridesmaids or any other girl that decided to pay attention to him. 

Heck, he’d even had some fun with a couple of best men.

That’s why after a particular hectic Christmas season at the auto-shop, Dean found himself attending the wedding of two businessmen called _‘Castiel Novak’_ and _‘Richard Roman’_. 

It was more upmarket than what Dean was used to but it didn’t faze him; he’d done his research on the couple and apparently they were one of those powerful business couples who merged their respective companies to create a sort of empire.

Unfortunately, it meant that Dean had had to spend a substantial amount of time the previous night learning about the steel and iron industry. It wasn’t a topic he was partial to talking about. Unless it was making up part of a car.

Still, high-class weddings usually included high-class ladies and not all of them were as proper as they seemed; they were usually well-travelled and therefore had a lot of experience in the _finer_ things in life.

The growl of the Impala’s engine had a few heads turning as he pulled into the drive of the cathedral.

Dean smirked as a few people pointed at his baby; if you were going to go down a hit at a wedding, best to get people’s attention from the very beginning.

He straightened his tie and fixed his tuxedo as he smoothly stepped out of the driver’s seat. He knew he was good-looking, which was why he was used to the roaming eyes of the women just entering the extravagant cathedral.

He smiled politely at the other guests, winking at one young woman who bit her lip suggestively as her gaze roved unabashedly over his body, before taking his seat in one of the pews in the middle.

“Good morning,” he smiled brightly at the woman beside him; a middle-aged lady with a condescending gaze and gloves riding high on her arms.

“Good morning,” she greeted blandly before taking a second suspicious look at him. “And you are?”

“Robert Plant. I’m the nephew, twice-removed, of Great Auntie Lillith,” replied Dean without missing a beat.

The woman looked confused for a second as if trying to work out who that might be. 

“On Richard’s side?”

Dean grinned. “That’s the one.”

The woman nodded finally, accepting the story.

“Ah, I see. I’m Castiel’s second godmother. Naomi.”

Dean kissed her hand gently. “I thought you were his sister,” he smirked before bowing his head slightly. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

A tiny smile found its way to Naomi’s lips and she nodded back respectfully.

“Likewise.”

Dean sat upright again, smirking internally; Naomi was impressed with his demeanour and judging by her clothes and haughty behaviour, soon the whole congregation would learn of Dean’s chivalry.

The first part of his plan was now complete; all he had to do was sit back and watch as people flocked to him in curiousness.

Suddenly, the band came to life and Dean had an opportunity to look at the man at the altar.

His hair was slicked back and his face was stuck in a permanent smug smirk that made Dean itch to punch him. There was just something smarmy about the guy. He wasn’t particularly handsome either, but something about him radiated confidence and pride. 

That looked like the picture he’d seen of Richard Roman.

Dean felt vaguely sorry for whoever had to marry him.

He turned when the footsteps of another man could be heard making their way down the aisle.

He half expected another sly-looking business man like the man at the altar, which was why he was surprised when a man with messy raven hair and an almost dull expression in his startlingly blue eyes shuffled towards his husband-to-be. That must have been Castiel; he’d only seen a black and white picture of him from his brief research but now he wished he’d deepened said research a little.

Dean eyed him interestedly. He didn’t often go for other men, but if the guy had been part of the congregation rather than the one getting married, Dean might have tried his hand with him.

He was Dean’s type; of similar height to him, high cheekbones and did he mention the stunningly blue eyes?

Dean tilted his head however, when Blue Eyes wouldn’t meet his lover’s gaze when he finally reached the altar. His mouth was pulled into a tight thin line and Dean swore he was frowning despite his lover’s smug smile.

He raised an eyebrow. It seemed as though there was trouble in paradise.

Still, it was none of his business and he focused on the red head that had bit her lip earlier when he had walked in.

 

* * *

 

The after parties were the time to strike. Women loved it when a man showed his caring side so Dean made it his mission to entertain some of the younger guests of the party with dances, magic tricks and the occasional joke.

Not that he particularly minded; he seemed to have developed a little soft spot for children anyway.

He’d learned that the red head’s name was Anna as she had inevitably wandered over whilst Naomi was singing praises about Richard’s, Aunt Lilith’s, nephew twice-removed. 

They had talked for a while, before Castiel’s mother had dragged her away to talk to some cousin or other. She had slipped Dean her number, however.

Dean glanced around the party, eying the buffet cart; in particular, the variety of pies.

He hesitated when he spotted a familiar blue-eyed man standing alone under a large oak tree a fair way away from the main party.

He weighed up the pros and cons of talking to the man; the voice in his head sounding suspiciously like his younger brother, Sam, as it tried to talk him out of going through with the stupid idea.

Dean shrugged and made his way over; he never listened to the real Sam, so why should he listen to his imaginary one?

“You’re looking lonely all the way out here. Don’t you want to join the rest of the family?” Dean asked casually as he came to stand beside Castiel.

The other man blinked before narrowing his gaze at Dean.

“I’m fine here, thank you.”

Dean held his hands up in a placating manner.

“Easy, I’m not forcing you to do anything.” He offered his arm. “Robert Plant.”

Castiel frowned in thought. “Like the musician?”

Dean raised an eyebrow. Usually upper class people didn’t understand his band references, which is why he got away with using them as his alias. His respect for Castiel had just cranked up a notch.

“Yeah,” he chuckled. “Like the musician.”

Castiel tilted his head. “Are you related to Richard?”

“Aunt Lilith’s nephew twice removed.”

“So, vaguely.”

Dean snorted a laugh. “Vague enough for us to never have met before.”

Castiel quirked a smile before it slipped from his face and he stared unseeingly into the horizon.

Dean knew the face of a man who was having second thoughts about his matrimonial vows.

“Hey, wanna join me for a drink? The bar in the hotel is pretty quiet since everyone’s out here.”

Castiel glanced at him wordlessly and Dean got the distinct impression that he was being judged for his sincerity.

“Sure,” replied Castiel eventually and they crept off towards the bar.

 

* * *

 

After four drinks each, Castiel was beginning to look a little tipsy and even Dean was beginning to feel a pleasant buzz.

“I never agreed to this marriage,” blurted Castiel suddenly and Dean still had enough wits about him to glance around the bar to see if anyone could overhear.

The room was empty, save the bartender.

“What do you mean?” Asked Dean, gaze once again drawn to Castiel’s sapphire eyes.

“I didn’t want to marry him. My mother and father forced me into it so we could merge the company yet have equal stakes in both.”

Dean winced in sympathy. He hadn’t been to many arranged marriages but at least the ones he had been to, the couple actually suited one another. Castiel didn’t seem like a good match for Richard.

“I wouldn’t mind if Richard actually acknowledged me as a person rather than a business project. He treats me like a child half the time,” sighed Castiel before his eyes widened and his gaze darted to Dean. “I’m sorry, I- ”

Dean held a hand up. “It’s fine. We’re not that close.”

Castiel visibly relaxed and Dean felt a stab of sorrow for him.

“My mother and father never married for love either. In fact, I’m pretty sure they don’t possess any form of affection for each other,” murmured Castiel. “I don’t know why I thought they’d let me be any different.”

Dean frowned. “Do you even want to be a part of the company?”

Cas shook his head. “Though it’s not like I have a choice. I’m not allowed to make decisions about my own life,” he said bitterly.

“That’s… not fair,” finished Dean lamely. What could he say to that?

Castiel smirked self-depreciatingly as he threw back the rest of his pint.

“Tell me about it.”

Dean pulled a face. “Can’t you just stand up to your parents? Tell them how you really feel about this whole thing?”

Cas cocked an eyebrow. “It’s a little late now.”

“Not really; you haven’t signed the marriage papers yet, so legally you’re not married.”

Castiel contemplated this for a few seconds. “Be that as it may, my parents have threatened to disown me if I act out against them. I wouldn’t be too worried except for the fact that they control my bank accounts and I wouldn’t have a place to live if they kicked me out.”

“Don’t you have any family you can live with?”

Castiel snorted. “Don’t tell me your family aren’t all traditionalists with their noses so far up each other’s backsides they would rather abandon their own children than defend them against the rest of the family?”

Dean grimaced. This was the downside to upper class weddings; there were so many cliques and politics, sometimes it wasn’t worth getting involved.

How could you disown your family for not wanting to marry someone they didn’t like and had been forced into meeting? Sam meant the world to him; he would do anything for his little brother (and in the past had proved it).

“Fair enough,” mumbled Dean quietly and Castiel snorted, picking up the new pint the bartender had surreptitiously slid in front of him.

“I suppose I’m destined to spend the rest of my loveless life in misery and as a disappointment to my parents.”

Dean nursed his pint contemplatively. “Not necessarily.”

Castiel shot him a sidelong glance and before Dean had a chance to think, his back was against the bar and a pair of lips had crashed into his own.

Dean blinked in shock when Castiel pulled back, quickly glancing over his shoulder as he did so, before staring at Dean with intense blue eyes that Dean couldn’t tear his gaze away from.

“I’m drunk and I’ll probably regret this in the morning, but I need something to help me escape from this nightmare. You’re not like the rest of your family and I have a feeling I can trust you.”

Dean finally caught his breath and nodded.

“I’ll get us a room.”

Castiel stopped him before looking over to the bartender, who slipped a key over the bar.

“Third floor, second door on the right,” the man said, golden eyes shining in encouragement.

“Thanks, Gabriel,” murmured Castiel as he snagged the key and dragged Dean to the lifts.

When the doors opened, revealing an empty carriage, Dean found himself pushed into a corner as Castiel ravaged his mouth.

Wondering how his luck had turned so sweet in such a short amount of time, Dean tugged the other man’s body flush with his own and tangled his hand in raven tufts in the way he’d fantasised since first laying eyes upon Castiel.

The doors opened again and they stumbled into their room, Castiel desperately tearing Dean’s tux off as Dean undid the other man’s belt and trousers, before moving to his jacket and shirt.

Quicker than they expected, their clothes were in a heap on the floor and they were gasping and groaning against each other, hands roaming as their mouths found one another once more.

“You won’t tell Richard?” Castiel whispered as he arched into Dean and the older Winchester realised he wasn’t quite as drunk as he made out to be. Then again, nobody could be this good in bed if they weren’t partly sober.

“You kidding? If you weren’t already promised to him, I’d make this a regular thing,” he ground out as he rolled his hips, prompting a soft whimper from Castiel.

“…Maybe we could?” Asked Castiel uncertainly and Dean’s rhythm stuttered.

Rule one of wedding crashing was it was a one-time thing only. Questions would pop up and suspicions would be aroused otherwise.

 _‘But Castiel is really good at this,’_ Dean mused as the other man gripped him a little tighter to force him to move his hips. _‘And he’s easy on the eyes too.’_

Would a regular meet-up with him be so bad? It would just be sex and it wasn’t like they would be exclusive either. Dean would carry on with his life with the added extra of an occasional romp in bed with a man who looked like the definition of sex god. It would also give Castiel a break from the life that had been chosen for him; a way for him to vent out his frustrations.

Hey, he was all about helping others.

Still, he hadn’t even given Castiel his real name and they knew next to nothing about each other. It would be dangerous keeping the lie up, especially when Castiel was already married.

Even if it was to a man he hated. 

“Rob?” Castiel whispered pleadingly and Dean made his decision as he claimed Castiel’s lips once more.

“Sounds great,” he murmured and Castiel’s face lit up in a way that made Dean’s heart pause.

Their breathing became heavier as they ground their hips together and Castiel’s hand gripped Dean’s hair as their tongues tangled.

A few minutes later saw them both on their backs, Dean’s arm curled around Castiel as the other man traced a finger over his chest.

“Maybe this arranged marriage won’t be so bad,” mused Castiel coyly and Dean stroked his back gently as he hummed in agreement.

Now all he had to do was keep up the lie until Castiel got bored of him or vice versa. With the way the other man was looking at him through half-lidded eyes, that wouldn’t be any time soon. Hopefully, they wouldn’t get caught…


	2. Dating for dummies - Sabriel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Chapter 2: Dean creates an online dating profile for his brother. Sam is not amused. Until he is._   
> 

“You’re such a jerk, Dean! I can’t believe you signed me up for this!”

“Well, you seemed so interested in my profile, I thought you’d like one of your own.”

“You set my username as _‘WhinyLoserGirlScout’_!” 

“Suits you.” 

Sam scowled as he scrolled through the dating profile Dean had created for him.

“ _’Age: **Six.** Nationality: **Canadian.** Ethnicity: **Moose.** Location: **Trash can.** ’_” 

Sam growled at his brother. “Are you serious?!”

Dean grinned at the younger man, looking very proud of himself.

“You said you wanted to try the dating scene again.”

Sam threw his hands up in disbelief. “Not like this!” He paused as something on the ridiculous profile caught his eye.

“’I enjoy talking about my feelings as the man of my dreams braids my untameable lion mane.’”

There was a pause where Sam stared blankly at his profile picture of the girl from _‘The Ring’_ as Dean’s grin widened until it almost spilt his face in two.

“Delete it,” said Sam calmly. Too calmly.

Dean cackled. “No can do, Sammy. You said you wanted to start dating again, so I’m just being the helpful big brother who sets up the tools you need to achieve your goal.” Then, he smirked. 

“Besides, it’s password protected meaning you can’t delete the account even if you tried.”

Sam lunged for his brother.

“You uploaded my e-mail address, phone number and actual name on there! Everyone knows who I am! Delete it now, Dean!” Roared Sam as he tried to tackle his brother to the floor. 

Dean dodged just in time and made a dash for the door.

“Someday you’ll thank me,” called Dean as he sprinted out of the apartment.

Sam contemplated lobbing his shoe at his brother’s head, but ultimately decided against it when he realised he probably wouldn’t get it back.

He stalked back to the offending laptop glaring at it for a few seconds in hopes that it would spontaneously burst into flames and erase the stupid profile from the recesses of the internet.

It didn’t.

He sighed and sat in front of it, idly scrolling through the page to see what other migraine-inducing things Dean had decided to include.

 

_Sexual orientation: **It’s between my legs. Pointing South.**_

_Hobbies: **Fighting ghosts and monsters. Starting the apocalypse. Being a whiny baby.**_

_Likes: **Clowns. Lots of clowns. Especially the movie ‘IT’.**_

_Dislikes: **Having fun.**_

_Diet: **Grass and shrubs.**_

_Smokes: **Weed.**_

_Drinks: **Desperately.**_

_Height: **7 inches ;P**_

 

Sam groaned. He hated his brother.

He was just about to edit the page (might as well create an accurate profile if he couldn’t delete it) when he noticed a match had been found for him. 

He raised an eyebrow. Who on Earth could be a match for a profile like that? Curiosity got the better of him and he clicked the link, which diverted him to another user.

_DaddyLongDong_

Sam’s mouth was a tight, unimpressed line as he stared at the user name. His gaze flicked to the profile picture of a man with a hosepipe between his legs as he seemingly ‘urinated’ on a couple in a rubber ring at a water park.

Actually, that was pretty funny.

Sam shook his head. No, it was a childish prank and despite what Dean thought, he wasn’t six years old.

Still, he couldn’t help but browse through the profile.

 

 _Sexual orientation: **Straight as a rainbow.**_

_Hobbies: **I may not be skilled at sports but I love balls.**_

 

Sam choked back a laugh. Okay, the guy had a corny sense of humour that may have amused Sam more than he liked to admit.

He wondered why the website had picked the other profile as a suitable match when he saw the ‘Height’ category.

Seven inches. Oh.

Maybe _DaddyLongDong_ would be a good match for Dean. They were both as ‘straight as a rainbow’, despite Dean’s protests to the contrary. 

Sam took note of the guy’s real name (for strictly scientific purposes only) before clicking on his own profile to edit it. If nothing, at least the dating site would prove a source of comedy.

 

* * *

 

One week later saw Sam bored and with no more University coursework to complete.

He opened up the dating site and checked his profile to see if Dean had tried to alter anything (again).

He hadn’t which meant Sam still had nothing to do. That is, until he noticed _‘DaddyLongDong’s_ account had been changed.

He clicked on the edited profile to find a new name and summary.

 

_Billy_

_Sex: **Please**_

_Age: **Old enough to know that murder is wrong**_

_Sexual orientation: **Women who don’t enjoy murder**_

_Hobbies: **Definitely not murder**_

_Likes: **Certainly not murder**_

_Dislikes: **Murder**_

 

Sam chuckled as he glanced at the picture of the mask from ‘Scream’ in the top left hand corner. Once again he noted the actual identity of the person to find the same name there; Gabriel Milton.

Gabriel obviously wasn’t serious about the whole ‘online dating’ scene either.

With a smile Sam clicked off the profile to scan through some of the messages he’d received; most of which seemed like the list from the regional sex offenders register.

He shuddered at one from a girl who had decided to send him a picture of a part of her body Sam believed shouldn’t be so publicly visible and rolled his eyes at another message from a guy who had snapped the inevitable picture of his erect length with a very creepy (border-lining stalker-like) message in its description.

He deleted his entire inbox.

He made a mental note to force Dean into giving him the password to his account, in hopes of deleting the wretched thing.

 

* * *

 

Dean refused to give him the password over the following three weeks meaning Sam was subject to brain-numbing messages and pictures of people _‘looking for a good time’_. 

He had, however, found Gabriel’s various profiles one of the more uplifting parts of the website.

The man changed his account every few days and Sam had spent long nights laughing at some of the details he had fabricated. Even the replies he sent to people who messaged him (mostly hate comments) were comedy gold.

A selection of his favourite quotes were:

 

_If you can’t handle me at my worst, then leave. I have no best. I am a constant state of disappointment to those around me, including my pet rock, Tim._

_I hate people. I hate socialising with people and I hate being a people. I live in a basement with no windows or furniture. Sometimes I chant in Latin surrounded by a circle of candles, whilst rocking back and forth._

_I’m looking for someone with a face and other qualities._

_Some people say I look like Chuck Norris. I think I’m more of a Bruce Lee._

 

It was Friday night and Sam found himself, once again, checking out Gabriel’s new profile. He cocked an amused eyebrow when he noticed the list of questions dominating most of the summary section.

 

_If you’re interested in me I will only accept messages that answer the following questions and fulfil the upcoming criteria:_

_1\. Do you love to boogie?_  
2\. I’m the kind of guy who steals your dessert on the first date. Is this acceptable to you?  
3\. I expect you to pay for our first date, whether you’re male or female, and if my pimp shows up, I expect you to pay for him too. He’s an alcoholic.  
4\. I’m not easy to get along with. I think I’m better than you on all levels and if you feel threatened or uncomfortable by this don’t even think of talking to me.  
5\. I spend a lot of money. Even more when it’s not mine. When we meet, you agree to give me full access to your wallet/purse.  
6\. What kind of relationship are you looking for? I’ve taken part in them all.  
7\. Why did you click on my profile and what do you like the most about me?  
8\. If you’ve made it this far; why are you still reading? Honestly, you can do better.  
9\. Shame on you if you’re looking for a one-night stand with someone like this. 

 

Sam shook his head with a small grin, before making an impulsive decision. It wouldn’t hurt; Gabriel was obviously here for a laugh and Sam wasn’t interested in the many dubious characters that frequented the site. Besides, he had nothing else to do.

He opened up a private message box and began to type a reply.

_1\. Only on a Saturday night._  
2\. You can be my poison tester.  
3\. Fine. He can be my poison tester.  
4\. My brother says that about me, too.  
5\. I’m a college student. I’ve never seen money in real life.  
6\. That’s a lie. You’ve never been in a relationship with me before.  
7\. I’m also a male human seeking a match with someone who has a face, amongst other qualities. I like that you have a face.  
8\. I literally have nothing better to do. I could say the same to you.  
9\. Does this apply if it’s a two-night stand? 

 

Sam scanned his reply once before hitting ‘send’. He knew it was silly but he didn’t particularly care; he hadn’t even wanted to join the site in the first place and it’s not like Gabriel would take the message seriously. 

He closed down his laptop and settled into bed, wondering when the next test for his law course took place. 

 

* * *

 

When Sam opened up his laptop the following evening, he noticed he’d received a message from the mockery of a dating website. He raised an eyebrow when he recognised the username as being Gabriel’s.

_Hey Sam,_

_Usually the comments I receive on here are from people who think I’m just a troll and want to report me to the site’s support staff. I suppose I am a bit of a troll, but I’m half-invested in this thing now and my profiles are a way of finding out if anyone has a sense of humour._

_You do._

_You’re the first person to message me with a reply that doesn’t take itself too serious and I may sound stupid for saying it, but I was kind of hoping you’re not a troll and maybe you actually wouldn’t mind meeting up for a drink sometime? I swear I won’t eat your dessert._

_I’ve seen you on my page visit list before and I honestly can’t believe you’ve stuck with me for just over a month! Your profile looks really professional (and cute!) and I’m hoping that none of it is fake and you really are looking for a relationship that isn’t limited to a roll around a bed? Even if it’s clear we won’t work, I wouldn’t mind a friendship with you._

_Yours faithfully,_

_What-A-Catch_

 

Sam blinked once. Then he blinked again to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. 

Did Gabriel honestly want to meet with him? Wait, so he wasn’t just making up fake profiles to mess with the site’s users? 

Most of all, was Sam actually considering taking him up on the offer? He seemed fun (which Sam desperately needed after the tragedy of his last girlfriend’s fatal car accident) and he didn’t sound like half the jerk his profiles made him out to be. In fact, he sounded pretty intelligent.

And he had called Sam ‘cute’.

Sam bit his lip contemplatively; he knew next to nothing about this person other than his real name and the fact he was nine years older than Sam (plus a few other minor details, but they didn’t really give him an idea of the man’s personality). Still, he sounded too hopeful for Sam to flat-out refuse.

Maybe just one meet-up and if the guy was some demented, psychopathic ex-convict, Sam would never have to see him again; it’s not like Gabriel knew his exact address.

He typed up a reply including a location and time to meet before drifting off to sleep; his dreams consisting of a mystery man in a coffee shop who may or may not have been his soul mate.

 

* * *

 

Six months later and Sam believed the best thing Dean had ever done for him was sign him up to that dating site (although he would never admit that to his brother, despite Dean’s smug smirk and teasing _‘told you you’d thank me’_ ). 

He didn’t know what he had expected when he had walked into that café all those months ago, but Gabriel was better than anything he could have imagined.

The man was surprisingly short, but he made up for it in character and attitude and Sam was quickly falling for the golden-eyed man with a dazzling smile and a chocolate bar for every occasion.

From the moment they met, they had just… clicked. Now their whole relationship was progressing at such a pace, Sam was struggling to keep up, yet he felt like he’d known Gabriel all his life.

If the way Gabriel was curled into his chest, a possessive arm draped around his waist, was anything to go by, Gabriel felt the same way about him.

Sam snuggled further into the warmth and nuzzled his hair as Gabriel’s eyes opened sleepily.

“mmm… Mornin’, Sammy.”

Sam didn’t usually let people get away with the nickname (unless it was Dean), but he could make an exception for Gabriel.

“Time’s ‘t?” Mumbled Gabriel as Sam kissed his nose.

“Nine. We’re not going anywhere. Relax a little longer; we were up late last night.”

Gabriel smirked as he tightened his grip on his lover.

“We were up very late last night. I’m blaming you and your tongue.”

Sam chuckled before tugging Gabe closer.

“Quiet, you.”

Gabriel smiled as his eyes began to close again.

“So glad you clicked on my profile.”

Sam felt his lips quirk upwards in fondness.

“So am I… _DaddyLongDong_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was in a Sabriel mood. And yes, this was inspired by actual dating profiles. Improvement/ constructive criticism welcome :)


	3. Surprises and Revelations - J2M

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Chapter 3: Beta Jensen, Omega Misha and Alpha Jared have been in a (quirky, yet loving) relationship for a few years now. When Jensen's past catches up with him, all of this is put at risk because of one slipped secret..._   
> 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick warning: Bit of non-consensual in Jensen's past, but nothing graphic.

The moment Jared had first laid eyes upon kind-hearted and soft-spoken co-star Jensen Ackles, sparks had flown. The young alpha quickly fell head over heels for his beta counterpart and after a shy question on Jared’s part (and a surprisingly hesitant response from Jensen) the two demons quickly became the crew’s favourite couple.

It was sickeningly adorable to watch such a strong alpha like Jared drop everything for his mate, who seemed surprised that anyone would even consider doing anything nice for him. 

They were scarcely apart on and off-set; their dark wings brushing one another’s out of tooth-rotting affection more often than not, and after two years of the couple being together (one of which, they had been mated), it was clear that the pair would go to just about any length to show one another off.

Jensen had always been a little more reserved than Jared (at first preferring not to initiate any form of intimate contact when in public), but after a year of being mated to a non-stereotypical, overeager, alpha puppy, his timid stance on their relationship had soon crumbled and he was known as being just as much a twitterpated love-bird as his alpha lover.

This greatly amused the cast and crew of _Supernatural_ , whether they were angel or demon, because as a general rule, alphas were strong, possessive, confident and often-times rather aggressive (regardless of gender), meaning they weren’t known for their playful romantic side. 

Jared threw all the stereotypes to the wind with his practical jokes on set and his affinity for placing his beta on a golden pedestal and telling anyone within a five-mile radius just how amazing Jensen was.

Usually betas were level-headed and patient (regardless of species). They weren’t push-overs, but they weren’t strong-headed like their alpha counterparts, which is why you could have more than one in a flock or pack.

A flock was what angels called their mates when they had more than one and a pack was the name specified by demons. The two species rarely mixed (mostly because of differing political views or personalities) and since there had been countless civil wars over the years, this was probably to be expected.

A typical flock or pack consisted of one alpha and a handful of betas and omegas (unless the group was large and more than one alpha could be involved; though things could get tense in these situations and alphas had been known to tear each other apart over omegas).

Omegas were usually more submissive and nurturing. Unfortunately, because of this, they didn’t have the best standing in society and often got less pay than their alpha and even beta counterparts. Some court cases had been rumoured to have been fixed to the alpha’s interests because such little respect was offered to omegas.

Despite this (or maybe due to this), omegas in a flock or pack easily got jealous if another omega was getting more attention from their alpha. Omegas could be very possessive when they wanted to be and hospitals saw more cases of omega fighting than they liked.

None of this had presented a problem for Jared and Jensen however, and the couple had been perfectly happy to remain as a couple until they were old and weary.

Then Misha showed up.

Misha was an omega angel that had only appeared in the show’s fourth running year and right from the get-go, both demons had been intrigued by him.

That intrigue had quickly morphed into two rather large crushes after finding out that Misha was a lot more playful and quick-witted than the average omega angel tended to be. He was intelligent and wasn’t afraid to back-chat any alphas that thought they could push him around. 

After a heart-breaking story about his newly-terminated relationship with an alpha who had decided he was only good for taking a knot and felt it was perfectly okay to have another flock that didn’t include Misha (which made Jared furious and Jensen oddly grim), the demon pair somehow found themselves curled around the white-winged angel in bed, chests heaving and dopey smiles lighting their faces as they wondered why they hadn’t invited him into their pack sooner than just over a year after his first appearance on the show.

Two years later and their love for one another had only grown.

As far as stereotypes were concerned, most believed that alpha Jared would be the one to keep his lovers in line, but the older cast and crew knew it would turn out the other way around, with Jensen and Misha sometimes having to step in to their lover’s pranks to prevent him from hurting himself (or anyone else). 

This dynamic was a far cry from both Misha and Jensen’s previous relationships.

Whilst Misha’s ignorant lover managed to make Jared overprotective of him, Jensen’s stories of his old pack had been enough to make Jared seriously consider flying all the way back to Texas just to beat some sense into the two alphas that ruled the pack with a hand for sadism and aggression.

Jensen had once lived in a smaller pack with a calm, respectable alpha (he wouldn’t go so far to say ‘kind’, but the man had never hurt any of them) and he had been perfectly happy there. However, one day a larger pack containing two alphas had decided to take over and they quickly subdued the other alpha, killing him instantly, leaving his pack terrified. The justice system did nothing to help the remaining omegas and betas.

Jensen, being the strongest one in his pack, tried to protect his cowering family to the best of his ability, but the two alphas forced him to submit to them and beat him as an example to the others before having their way with him.

After that, life for Jensen and his pack became a nightmare as they were integrated with the other pack and it was a miracle how the two alphas managed to live together because they fought one another almost as much as they abused their mates.

Many betas and omegas in the pack got injured during the alphas’ battles with one another and after two years of being beaten and claimed by the psychotic alphas, life for them became every person for themselves, omegas fighting omegas and betas fighting betas to stay in the alphas’ good books.

Jensen had told both Jared and Misha of the ways the two alphas handed out punishment; humiliation featuring high on that list and Jared had growled his rage, eyes sliding to black when he realised just how much Jensen had been through in four years.

No wonder he had been hesitant when accepting Jared’s offer of courtship.

Fortunately, Jared was nothing like those other alphas and he made it his mission to prove it to both his lovers.

Jensen and Misha adored every second of it.

They were half way through filming for season seven and Jared was thinking of skipping work that day in favour of staying nestled between his mates as they curled their wings around him.

He stroked a hand over his lovers’ feathers; one set white and the other a deep black as his own chocolate wings arced around his mates’ backs protectively.

He had never been mated before and how anyone could ever hurt Misha or Jensen was beyond him. His lovers were funny, intelligent, kind-hearted and overall just good people.

His wings tightened their grip on his mates fractionally; he was glad Jensen had made the decision to flee his flock the second he had the opportunity to work in Canada, just as he was thankful that Misha had finally stood up to the other overbearing alpha (even if it had earned him a couple of bruises) and left him the moment he had realised he wanted to be treated like how Jared treated his mate.

Granted, he hadn’t quite expected to actually become Jared’s mate; but he wasn’t complaining.

Beside Jared, Jensen stirred and the alpha couldn’t help but nuzzle his mate’s hair in fondness.

“Morning,” he whispered and Jensen blinked sleepily at him.

“Mornin’,” he mumbled as he snuggled further into Jared’s chest, a relaxed smile resting on his face.

Jared always marvelled at how he could cause his mates to act like that when they had been so badly used in the past.

“Time’s’t?” 

Jared peered over the other demon to glance at the clock. “Six. We don’t have to be out ‘till seven-thirty. Go back to sleep, Jen.”

Jensen hummed softly before wrapping his arms tightly around Jared’s stomach.

“’M’kay.”

“How are your brains functioning so early?” Misha grumbled from their side and both demons chuckled quietly.

“I know you don’t believe there are two six o’clocks in a day but this is what the sun looks like on the other side of the sky,” teased Jared and Misha smacked him in the face with a wing.

Jared spat out a feather and growled playfully before placing a sloppy, wet kiss on the angel’s cheek.

Misha huffed a groan and batted lazily at Jared’s face in a way that wouldn’t give away how much he actually enjoyed these sappy moments.

Jensen chuckled as he watched them, settling back down on Jared’s chest and grinning when Misha finally admitted defeat and pressed a tender kiss to Jared’s lips.

“Stop smirking, Ackles,” huffed Misha as he buried his face into the crook of Jared’s neck and Jensen smirked.

“Make me, Collins,” he growled, winking when Misha cracked an eye open to glare at him.

He was surprised when Misha tackled him and pushed him off Jared’s chest, and the pair wrestled for a moment as Jared’s laugh rang out warm beside them.

Eventually, Jensen managed to flip Misha onto his back as he peppered disgustingly soggy kisses over his face as punishment and Misha put up a fuss, but as soon as Jensen stopped, he pulled the beta in for something a bit more loving.

When they broke apart to breathe, Jensen nuzzled at the omega’s neck, taking in the sweet, inviting scent. 

Jared watched on with gentle eyes before placing sweet kisses on their cheeks.

Jensen was always taken off-guard in these moments; if two members of their own flock had acted blatantly intimate towards one another when they were in the presence of one of their alphas, there would have been a hefty price to pay.

Jared’s encouragement was a relief even after all these years.

Both his lovers seemed to guess what he was thinking about, because Misha’s grip on him tightened and Jared carded a hand through his wing.

He smiled and cuddled up to Misha as his wing leaned into the alpha’s touch.

“Love you,” he murmured and his mates smiled softly, about to reply when a heavy banging sounded on the trailer door.

Jared raised an eyebrow as Misha frowned. “Surely they can’t want us up yet?”

Jared shrugged as Jensen commented, “Maybe there’s been a change in plans?”

The alpha stretched before rolling out of the bed that was slightly too small for them all, but gave them an excuse to drape themselves over one another whilst they slept.

“Wait here and I’ll see what’s up.”

The older men nodded, fully awake now as Jared plodded into the living area.

Jared opened the door, fully intent on asking why Kripke couldn’t give them another hour in bed when he realised that he didn’t recognise the two large demons scowling at him from the other side of the door.

He scented the air subtly, identifying them as alphas and was about to ask them who they were (and if they were selling anything, he wasn’t buying) when they lunged at him.

He cried out in pain when a foot connected with his abdomen and a knuckle hit his jaw, and he quickly tried to dislodge his attackers, only to gasp when they clawed at his wings.

“Where is he?” One of them hissed as he heard a crack when one of his wings was pulled the wrong way.

His pained shouts soon had his lovers sprinting into the living room and both looked ready to attack the alphas, despite their heated aggression, when Jensen suddenly froze as one of the demons glanced at him.

The alpha, with dirty grey wings, smirked fiendishly at Jensen, whose own wings were pinned to his back in apparent fear. 

“There he is; our favourite little toy,” the alpha grinned as his friend (with ash-coloured wings) glanced over.

“Think you can just leave us?” Snarled the second alpha, wings puffed out in a threatening manner and Jensen seemed to shrink in on himself as he backed up.

Confused and angry, Jared used the distraction to throw the other alphas off him as he climbed to his feet and spread his wings wide in front of his mates as he came to stand in front of them.

He didn’t doubt that either of his mates could take care of themselves, but Jensen’s reaction coupled with Jared’s protective alpha instinct made it so he was shielding the beta and omega from view.

Both alphas bared their teeth at him in a vicious grin before lunging again and whilst he managed to throw one half way across the room, the demon with ash wings knocked him to the floor, clawing violently at his face as the first alpha targeted Jensen.

Jensen seemed frozen in place, eyes wide and terrified as the crazy alpha advanced on him. Just as he prepared to pounce on the beta, Misha bowled into him, throwing in a few good punches before the much larger demon retaliated and the angel found himself pinned to the floor as Jensen stared on in horror.

“Stupid omegas shouldn’t disrespect their superiors,” mocked the alpha as he gripped Misha’s hip harshly and forced him onto his front until he was in the typical _‘presenting’_ pose.

The alpha clutched Misha’s head and slammed his face into the floor as he began to tug his pyjama bottoms down, taking sadistic glee in the omega’s gasp of fear.

Misha struggled against the vice-like grip as Jared fought with the second alpha, eyes wide and panicked when he saw Misha’s position.

“Jensen!” He cried out automatically, pleading for him to help the angel and the shout snapped the older demon out of his stupor as he took a swing at the side of the intruder’s face, knocking him off Misha and allowing the omega to scramble to his feet.

The alpha snarled at Jensen.

“I thought I already showed you what happens to pack members who step out of line.”

Jensen gulped and it suddenly dawned on both Misha and Jared who these men were.

It seemed Jensen’s previous pack hadn’t taken too kindly to his sudden leave of absence.

There was a thud as the grey-winged alpha shoved Jensen into the wall, hitting Misha square across the jaw when he tried to intervene, and as the alpha gripped the oil gland in Jensen’s wing with too much force, yanking on it and taking pleasure in Jensen’s pained whimper, Jared saw red.

How dare these two beasts barge into his home and hurt his mates!

Jared’s eyes slid to black and with a surge of adrenaline, he hurled the ash-winged alpha into a wall as he sprung on the other enemy with an outraged growl.

By now, all three alphas’ eyes had switched to black as they battled and Jared’s chest heaved with unadulterated fury as he slammed the second alpha into the floor, before taking up a protective stance in front of his injured mates.

The first alpha spat out blood as he rose to his feet, wings raised threateningly.

“You’re protecting _him?_ You think that worthless creature deserves respect?” He hissed as he glared at Jensen with disgust and a warning growl rumbled low in Jared’s throat.

“Get out of our home.”

The second alpha snorted.

“We’re not going anywhere until you give us what you stole.”

“He’s not an object,” hissed Jared as Jensen’s wings plastered themselves to his back, fear clear in his eyes as Misha huddled closer to him, eyes glowing a bright blue out of anger.

“And he doesn’t want you. He chose us. So _leave_ ,” continued Jared, wings responding to the other alphas’ hostile stances.

The grey-winged demon laughed condescendingly.

“Oh please. He’ll do anything for a big knot and rough hands, won’t you, _beta_?”

Jensen whined softly and Jared scowled at the way the alpha had said _‘beta’_ , as if it was an insult to have that status.

“Get out before I throw you out,” warned Jared lowly and both alphas chuckled.

“No,” said one as his gaze roamed over Jensen’s body. “He’s even prettier than in the years we had him. I want another go on him.”

Jared’s fists clenched and he was about to take a step towards the revolting alpha when the other one addressed him.

“Does he still take it hard and fast? He used to take it on his front, presenting to us like the perfect little pet. I bet he’s not as tight as he used to be.”

Jared went in for the kill.

He had never let his instincts rule him so freely before; had never understood how alphas let their minds be taken over so wholly before, but the things these alphas were saying about his beloved mate were enough to drive him over the edge. He dealt blow after blow to the other alpha, not caring if he was receiving a fair number of hits himself and it was only when he heard Misha’s snarl of _“Back off!”_ did he consider the other alpha in the room.

He leapt off the grey-winged one to focus his attention on his friend.

He hurled him into the back of the couch.

“GET OUT!” Jared roared and even Misha and Jensen cowered slightly at the tone. They had never seen their mate so enraged.

Still, the intruders didn’t leave and they licked their lips, grimacing at the iron-y taste of blood.

They rose to their feet warily before narrowing their gazes.

“Don’t pretend you’re better than us. I bet you enjoy claiming him just as much as we do. Maybe even more,” said the grey-winged demon as his counterpart snorted.

“Who wouldn’t enjoy seeing a pretty alpha like him submitting to their whims?”

Jared frowned as Misha tilted his head in confusion. _Alpha? What were they talking about?_

The first demon must have registered their confusion because he suddenly grinned out of glee.

“Don’t tell me he hasn’t told you about his little secret? How long have you been mated?”

Jared scowled as Jensen’s face drained of colour.

“Please,” he croaked out and both alphas laughed.

“He hasn’t!”

“Allow us to explain.”

As Jensen shook his head pleadingly Misha’s gaze turned concerned and Jared edged closer to them both, wary of their attackers.

“Your sweet little beta has a dirty secret.”

“He’s not a beta.”

Both Misha and Jared pulled a face. These two were obviously lunatics.

A tiny sob escaped Jensen’s throat.

Misha and Jared blinked in alarm.

“Don’t,” whimpered Jensen once more. “Don’t do this.”

The alphas smirked devilishly and Misha and Jared felt a sense of foreboding wash over them.

“Let us tell you a story about your mate’s first pack,” began the ash-winged demon. “It was run by two alphas. An older one called Isaac and a younger one called Jensen. The younger one always gave way to his elder, letting him take control of the pack and its business. He respected Isaac for taking him in as a friend when he accidentally flirted with one of the pack’s betas, as did the rest of the family when they saw how Isaac never harmed a hair on his head, and the two alphas lived harmoniously with one another for a good few years.

“Unfortunately, Isaac was weak and when two stronger, younger pack leaders wanted his mates, he succumbed to a tragic yet inevitable death, despite Jensen’s best efforts to protect him. 

“The two pack leaders would have granted Jensen the same fate… except they rather liked his face and instead, they bent him over and did things to him that he’d never experienced before and probably didn’t want to experience again. It served as a good lesson to his mates that nothing good happened to those who stepped out of line against their new alphas.

“However, Jensen wasn’t so easily beaten and he fought his new alphas at every turn, so at every turn, the new alphas hit him and whipped him and forced him to submit to them until he was too tired to fight any more.

“They were pleased with his progress and as a final warning to the other pack members, the alphas made him take pills that would suppress his alpha hormones until he no longer felt the urge to claim an omega or beta in the way he was used to.

“They knew they’d broken him when they forced him to present for them and he never uttered a word.” 

The two alphas smirked, eyeing Jensen triumphantly as he closed his eyes and bowed his head.

Misha’s eyes were wide and horrified as he glanced at his mate and Jensen huddled in on himself, ashamed as his wings curled around himself self-consciously.

Jared caught the movement from the corner of his eye and his face was uncharacteristically blank as he levelled a stare at the two invading alphas.

They chuckled at Jensen’s lost expression before the ash-winged demon spoke up.

“For some reason he thought he could abandon us. Pretend none of it ever happened. Well, he was wrong and his pack wants him back. We’ve missed out pet dearly,” he mocked, ignoring the whiteness of Jared’s knuckles and instead, focusing on Jensen’s scared whimper.

“We’ve missed making the pack watch us knot that tight little rump of his as he sobs onto whatever surface we pin him against. We’ve missed proving who his masters are.”

Suddenly, Jared’s wings flared wide as his gaze turned thunderous, and he leapt at the ash-winged alpha, throwing him against the front door with adrenaline-surged strength.

“ _ **GET OUT!**_ ” He bellowed, eyes a murderous black, and the other alpha froze in a moment of fear.

There was a thud behind them and from the corner of his gaze, Jared spotted the second intruder being knocked to the floor as a pair of white wings flapped violently, their owner’s eyes an intense blue.

“ _He’s ours,_ ” hissed Misha and Jared was impressed with the omega’s confidence at facing off with a much larger demonic alpha. Then again, he wasn’t all that surprised given Misha’s character.

Confusion at being assaulted by an omega and panic at Jared’s powerful stance and ferocious gaze, the two alphas scrambled towards the door. They were in Jared’s territory after all, and most alphas felt uneasy when not in their own ‘safe’ area.

“We’ll be back,” one of the intruders spat, face bruised and blood trickling from his nose as he and his partner fled the trailer, leaving the trio alone and bloody.

A tense silence fell between them all and Misha glanced worriedly between Jared and Jensen, wings drooping at the older demon’s shameful posturing.

He tried to catch Jared’s eye, attempting to ask what was going to happen now Jensen had been revealed to be another alpha when Jared completely ignored him and stalked into the bathroom, wings shaking in unrestrained anger.

Misha felt a sinking feeling in his gut.

The younger man quickly reappeared with a bowl of warm water, a cloth and some antiseptic cream, face still unnervingly blank.

He approached Misha first, gently dabbing his wounds with the wet cloth and tenderly stroking the cream into the open cuts.

The angel tried to convey his concern at Jared’s behaviour through eye contact alone, but the demon wouldn’t meet his gaze.

Next, Jared moved to Jensen and the older demon winced at his lover’s stony expression.

He repeated his movements with the wet cloth with surprising care and Jensen found this made him feel worse than if Jared had outright attacked him and told him to leave his territory.

About half-way through applying the cream, it was apparent that neither was willing to break the strained silence first, so Jared sighed quietly and halted his ministrations.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” He asked brokenly and Jensen turned his gaze downwards.

“I was selfish,” he whispered. “You’d been my best friend for a year and then you said you were interested in me; not because you wanted somewhere to stick your knot, but because you actually cared and I wanted that. I liked the idea of someone wanting me because they liked me as a person. I didn’t want to tell you because I was scared you’d leave. 

“I needed someone to show me that I wasn’t just something to be used and thrown away when they got bored of me, and you were offering that. I was afraid that if I told you I was an alpha too, you’d be disgusted and tell me to leave. Worse, I was worried you’d treat me like a rival around the set so I kept quiet. 

“I wanted to tell you when we mated, but it seemed too late and I didn’t want you to see it as a betrayal. When Misha came along, I couldn’t bring myself to even consider saying anything. I didn’t want you to think I was challenging you for him, and by then, I was so used to taking the pills I thought I might as well live the rest of my life as a beta. We were happy and I didn’t want to lose either of you.”

Jensen huddled in on himself, wings pressing flat to his back in hopes that Jared wouldn’t see him as a rival now he knew the truth.

The younger alpha tracked the movement with pained eyes as Jensen murmured, “I see now that keeping you isn’t an option.”

Misha’s wings raised in panic, eyebrows hitting his hairline as Jared’s gaze shot to the other demon in alarm.

“Don’t leave,” he blurted and Jensen’s head snapped upwards.

“What?”

Jared huffed out a shaky breath. “I’m angry you didn’t tell me you were an alpha, but not because I want you to go. I’m upset because you came here to escape your old pack after they hurt you and humiliated you, yet when we got together, I did exactly the same thing to you.”

His wings quivered in distress as he thought about their history together.

“How many times have I knotted you? How many times have you presented to me and I’ve just claimed you as if you haven’t suffered enough at the hands of those other two? How many times have I rubbed my oil over your wings and covered you with my scent?” His voice broke. “You must have thought I was purposefully trying to humiliate you. You must have believed I was trying to prove my strength over you.”

He shook his head in despair. “I should have seen the signs; should have looked into what the pills were for. I’m supposed to be your mate and I didn’t even notice you were too terrified of me to tell me you were an alpha!

“I’m not angry at you, Jen. I’m angry at myself for hurting you like they did.”

Jensen’s wings puffed out in shock, before his gaze narrowed and he grabbed the younger man’s arm.

“ _You’re nothing like them,_ ” he hissed. “And I’m not scared of you; I was worried you wouldn’t want me after I told you about my status.” He loosened his grip. “And I never even considered that you were trying to humiliate me. You didn’t know and you proved your love for me in those first few months when you were so careful whenever we were together. You were gentle when I told you what those alphas had done to me, even if you didn’t know the whole truth and I… I didn’t want to let you slip away. Still don’t,” he mumbled softly and Jared blinked.

“…You’re not frightened of me? Even after all they did to you?”

Jensen shook his head, a small smile playing about his lips.

“Actually, I liked it when you claimed me; knotted me as you rubbed your scent over me. Felt like I belonged somewhere; to someone who needed me.” His eyes widened as he realised what he’d admitted to and his gaze was apologetic and pleading as it flicked to Jared’s face, expecting to see disgust and repulsion on his features.

Instead, Jared looked hopeful.

“You liked it?”

Jensen hesitated. “…Yeah.” He gulped, determination growing. “You weren’t out to hurt me like those other two and afterwards, you curled around me and told me how much you loved me. You proved to me that being knotted and marked doesn’t have to be painful or humiliating. When Misha joined us, it only reinforced the point that you cared.”

Jared’s wings flicked in excitement and Jensen’s own wings responded in kind.

“So… does this mean we can continue being a pack?” Asked Jared quietly, trying not to display his nervousness and Jensen’s heart sped up.

_Jared still wanted him!_

“…Is that what you want?” He replied tentatively and before he realised what was happening, two arms were wrapped around his middle as a pair of chocolate wings curled around his back protectively.

He finally relaxed when Jared buried his nose in his neck.

“You are what I want,” he murmured and Jensen pulled Jared closer, his own wings coming to arc around the other alpha’s.

“Stop taking the pills. I want to know what you actually smell like,” said Jared and Jensen nuzzled his cheek.

“You sure? I don’t want you thinking I’m threatening your territory or anything…”

Jared huffed into his neck. “How can you _‘threaten my territory’_ when you practically live in my trailer? And have been for the past four or so years?”

Jensen ducked his head and nuzzled at Jared’s throat in a way any pack or flock member would to show respect for their alpha. He was shocked when Jared copied his movements.

The younger demon chuckled. “You’re gonna have to get used to that.” His gaze softened. “Things are going to be different between us, but I promise I’ll never hurt you, Jen. I love you the same as I always have and that’s never going to change.” He pressed a chaste kiss to the other alpha’s lips. “You’re mine just as I’m yours and nobody can take that away from us.”

Jensen ignored the suspiciously damp feeling on his own cheeks. 

“Good,” he choked, overwhelmed and Jared smiled fondly.

It was then that Misha cautiously sidled over to them.

“You’re both gonna be okay?” He asked carefully. “You’re not going to suddenly start fighting with each other once Jen comes off the pills? You do realise how difficult things are going to get, right?”

Jensen’s expression fell and Misha winced when he registered he’d been the one to cause it. Still, they all had to understand what they were getting into with two alphas to one omega in their little group.

Jensen pulled back from the younger man’s hold and glanced at him anxiously.

“I can stay on with the- ”

“No,” interrupted Jared firmly. “You’re not with your old pack and I refuse to force you to keep using something that you associate with pain and repression. I don’t care what stereotypes have to stay about two alphas being together; we’ll make this work. I know we will.”

He glanced at Misha. “Are you okay with two alphas? I’ll take the pills myself if you don’t feel safe.”

Misha scowled. “Do you honestly think I have so little trust in you? You’ve never hurt me before and I don’t think you intend on starting any time soon.” His expression softened. “I just wanted to make sure you understood what could happen if you ever get aggravated with one another. Another alpha scent in a confined space could push you over the edge on a bad day. I don’t want you both ripping each other apart.” He paused, a look of uncertainty flickering across his face.

“And then there’s the issue of my heats…”

Omega heats could make alphas and betas alike do crazy things by scent alone. People had been killed over an omega in heat.

Jared frowned as Jensen’s gaze dropped to the floor.

“We’ll make it work,” insisted the younger demon and Misha smiled. 

“That’s all I needed to hear.”

Jensen glanced at the other alpha. “…I could never hurt you, Jay. I’d never forgive myself.”

Jared slid a wing around him. “And I’d rather die than hurt you. I don’t care what you’ve got between your legs; you’re still my mate.”

Misha smiled at the sincere exchange before smirking coyly.

“Two alphas, huh? This definitely works in my favour.”

Both demons blinked before Jared snorted in amusement. 

“Trust you to think about our sex life at a time like this.”

Jensen looked even more bewildered as Misha chuckled.

“Are you kidding? That’s exactly what I’m going to think about! Two alphas to lavish attention on little ol’ me? Sounds like paradise.”

Jared grinned, wings fluttering in exasperation as Jensen began to relax, a small smile growing on his face as the tension in the room disappeared.

“What makes you think we’re gonna pay any mind to you? Maybe we’ll just love each other,” snorted Jared. 

Misha pouted and stuck his tongue out petulantly, causing Jensen to laugh quietly.

He eyed Jared warmly before tilting his head.

“Before we do any of that though, we better get you cleaned up,” he said as he frowned at the blood and bruises littering Jared’s body. He felt a pulse of rage at the thought his old, twisted pack-members had caused the damage, and he was surprised at its intensity. 

Now that he was going to be an alpha again, he could protect Jared and Misha in the same way the younger alpha had done for them all these years.

Jensen and Misha cleaned the younger man’s cuts, giving him the same treatment he’d given them earlier and when they were finished, Jared tugged them in for a hug, despite the aches and pains they all had from their fight.

“I love you two more than anything,” whispered Jared and both older men cuddled up to him, thankful all the drama was over.

Jensen’s eyes flew open however, when Misha nuzzled at his throat in the same way he had done with Jared on countless occasions. 

He glanced to Jared, worried that the other alpha would take offence to the display, but their mate was smiling encouragingly at them both and Jensen couldn’t help but tug Misha closer, stealing a tender kiss from him as he mused how lucky he was to be in a relationship with an alpha as kind as Jared.

He leaned into Jared’s chest, relishing in the feeling of safety and affection as Misha tried to wriggle between them.

Both alphas chuckled and wrapped him in their wings.

“Can’t wait to see what you really smell like,” mused Jared and Jensen shot him a look of amusement.

Jared shrugged. “What can I say? I’m curious to what being with another alpha feels like.”

“You have a kink we’ve not yet discovered?” Misha teased and Jared winked.

Jensen rolled his eyes. “Does everything have to be about sex with you two?”

“Yes,” they answered in unison.

Jensen snorted. “Well, you’re going to have to wait a little longer. We’ve still got a whole day of filming ahead of us and we’ve got to make up some excuse about why we all look like we’ve been hit by a bus.”

Misha flicked a wing. “How about: _‘we were hit by a bus’_?”

Jensen swung a wing into his face.

“We’ll come up with something,” huffed Jared as he stroked his mates’ wings.

There was a pause.

“How are we going to explain I’m an alpha?” Jensen asked timidly.

Jared and Misha shared a glance.

“We just tell them,” said Misha simply. “It’s up to them how they take it.”

“They’ll look at us differently,” said Jensen and Jared squeezed his lovers tighter.

“That’s up to them. Doesn’t change how we feel about each other.”

They sat contentedly in each other’s embraces until seven rolled around and they showered and dressed themselves for a long day of filming. 

When the time arrived for them to leave the comfort of Jared’s trailer, the trio took a deep breath and steeled themselves for the questions bound to come their way.

Before they left, Misha and Jared kissed Jensen’s cheeks and each arced a wing around him in support.

Jensen heaved a shaky sigh of relief and offered them a look of a gratitude before they stepped into the open.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a long 'drabble'. Might add another part to this later on (who knows; it might even turn into a fic). Don't know if anyone likes it though so we'll see. 
> 
> Constructive criticism welcome :)


	4. Rude Awakenings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Chapter 4: Gabriel reveals himself after five years of being presumed dead, but something's not quite right with the Archangel..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone is wondering where _'conspiracy'_ has gone (the one where omega Cas is told to infiltrate a brothel with Dean as his assistant), I have filed it under a separate fic of the same title. It was too long to be a drabble :)
> 
> UPDATE: _Conspiracy_ now has a sequel in the form of a second chapter!

Black, soulless eyes opened to stare at nothing but darkness. It should have been cold, but he couldn't feel it; his upgraded (or maybe it was downgraded?) body couldn't feel the cold, already used to frosty temperatures from the place in which it had been created.

He glanced around, trying to find something of use to him, but all he saw was blackness. 

He moved his hand a mere few inches and felt what should have been a freezing wall, but all he felt was a solid, flat surface, so he tested his other hand only to get the same result.

He could barely move his elbows, but he managed to prop himself up and banged his head in the process. Another wall was preventing him from sitting upright and he felt an unreasonable surge of anger power through his body and his blood begin to boil and rush through his veins at inhuman speeds.

Thoughts of murder and drawn out tortures raced through his mind and a place he had never been before surfaced at the forefront of all these images, a place filled with hooks and screams and broken souls and for some reason, he felt glee at seeing the blood and torn flesh dripping from these rusted hooks and wires.

The locked door at his feet flew off its hinges and hit the other side of the room, twenty three feet away.

He raised an appreciative eyebrow and all the rage and horrific images pouring through his system simmered down into the background as he slid out from his little box.

He looked around the white, clinical walls and at the steel boxes built into them.

He was in a morgue.

With a frown he slammed his box door shut and wondered what course of action to take next. He should probably do something about his current state; it wasn't natural. Yet he felt no great urge to return to the way he used to be.

Still, he should tell someone, or at the very least ask for advice on his odd predicament. The question was who to ask?

He smirked as a single word popped into his head; the very word that most of Heaven, Hell and everything in between were talking about.

_Winchesters._

 

* * *

 

Sam groaned as he took another look at the case reports. All leads pointed to a Trickster, but this didn't seem like a Trickster's work. Sure, the pranks were immature enough to be a Demi God's, but they lacked the creativity that Gabriel's had, back when he was still alive.

Sam paused a moment to think about that. Gabriel had died five years ago. Had it really only been a few years since they'd been whisked away into TV land? So much had happened since then, between Sam losing his soul, Castiel becoming a new kind of God and Dean becoming a Demon, the whole of Team Free Will had been through a lot.

Anyway, back to business.

"Hey, Sam, you got any ideas yet?" Dean hollered from another room.

Sam sighed. He did, but it didn't sit right with him.

"Yeah... It looks like a Trickster..."

Dean walked into the library, a tea towel in his hands as he dried their plates from lunch.

"But?"

A tiny smile flickered across Sam's face. His brother was so domestic without even realising.

"But the pranks don't seem showy enough. I mean, switching babies at birth? Leading pets away from their owners until they can't find their way back? These things aren't even funny."

Dean frowned. "It doesn't look like it's trying to teach anyone a lesson. It looks like it's messing with people for the sake of messing with people."

Sam snorted. "Maybe it's bored."

"Or lonely."

Sam cocked an eyebrow. "I think only one person has died here and that was his own fault for not watching where he was walking."

Dean grinned. "You think you'd notice a combine harvester coming at you."

Sam shook his head with a smile. "Depends how tall the crops are. Still, I suppose he should have heard it."

"Did he get lost or something?"

"Whatever we're hunting led him off the hiking path and into a farmer's field."

"Didn't he notice a scenery change?"

"Apparently not."

Dean pulled a face, which then lit up when Cas called from the Bunker's entrance.

"Sam? Dean? I'm back."

Dean's attention was redirected to Cas and they had a small staring contest when they saw each other. Nothing anyone said at that moment would deter Dean from greeting Cas in that odd way they did. They were both adorably clueless.

Sam snickered and it snapped both of them out of their little bubble.

"Hello, Dean." Almost as an afterthought, Cas turned to Sam. "Hello, Sam."

Sam's smirk only grew wider. "Hey, Cas."

Dean didn't say anything, a fond smile etched into his features as he observed Cas and Sam coughed in a way that all younger siblings do to annoy their older sibling when they know a dirty secret.

Dean shot Sam a filthy look, trying to forget the implications Sam had never stopped forcing on him since the musical retelling of their lives.

He shuffled off into the kitchen, leaving Cas to stare at his back curiously.

"How's the case?" He asked after a moment and Sam's thoughts were once again back to seriousness.

"Confusing. Sounds like a Trickster, but doesn't really look like one."

Castiel scanned the case reports and saw Sam's dilemma. 

"Who considers turning a hamster into a parrot as a prank?"

Sam shrugged helplessly.

Castiel stood back up to his full height with a frown. 

"I will do all I can to help you."

"I'm sure Heaven has more pressing needs," reasoned Sam as he took in Cas' tired face. "You don't need to worry about us. It's probably just a simple hunt and we're overthinking it. Don't wear yourself out, Cas."

Castiel had been looking more fatigued since Hannah had asked him for aid in catching the _'rogues'_. In all honesty, Sam had been more than a little concerned for the Angel, but Castiel assured him that now that his grace was fully restored, he would be okay. Sam had to wonder at that.

Cas shook his head. "As I've told you before, Sam, I'm fine. I want to help."

Sam smiled gratefully as Cas turned on his heel to chat to Dean and was just about to reread one of the reports when there was a heavy pounding on the bunker door.

Sam frowned, wondering if the milkman had decided that the Bunker was a house once again and meandered to the entrance.

He flung the door open and his heart stopped cold.

Gabriel was leaning casually on the door frame, an odd smirk on his face as his gaze raked over the younger Winchester's frame.

"Hey, Gigantor. Thought I'd drop by for a latte."

 

* * *

 

Castiel glared at the former Trickster. 

"You're not my brother."

Gabriel raised an eyebrow and grinned, but it wasn't the playful, charming grin they were used to seeing, this grin was somehow predatory, almost calculating.

"You wound me, little bro. Are we not family?"

Dean caught Cas' expression and immediately he was on alert as he stared at Gabriel from across the table. The last time he'd seen that kind of look on Cas' face was when he'd been a Demon. He shivered involuntarily at the memory.

"Who are you?" Growled Cas and Sam startled slightly at the hostility.

Gabriel chuckled darkly and the whole of Team Free Will felt the hairs raise on the back of their necks.

"I'm Gabriel. Loki. The Trickster. Whatever you want to call me."

Sam couldn't actually see why Cas seemed so untrusting; it wasn't the first time an Angel had been raised from the dead and surely nothing could possess an Archangel? He shared a glance with Dean and his brother, although wary, was also at a loss as to Cas' uncharacteristic behaviour.

Sam decided to ask the question that had been hammering at his brain ever since the return of the Archangel.

"Are you the one who's pulling all these pranks?"

Gabriel tilted his head fractionally.

"What pranks?"

Sam deflated. It was clear Gabriel had no idea what he was talking about. Back to the drawing board.

Castiel didn't relax. If anything he seemed to get more defensive.

"What have you done with my brother?"

Gabriel flashed a smile, a little more like the ones he was known for.

"Hate to break it to you, Bucko, but I am your brother."

Cas snarled and willed his blade to appear. Dean quickly jumped up and held Cas back and in doing so, missed the dark look in Gabriel's eyes, gone as soon as it had appeared.

"Woah! Don't jump to any conclusions, Cas." He whispered lowly, forgetting that Gabriel was an all-powerful being and would be able to hear him even if he merely thought the words.

"We could use him to help us in this case. He's already proved that he's willing to stand up for humanity. Who better to ask about a Trickster than a Trickster?"

Cas didn't take his eyes of Gabriel and the Archangel winked at him with a lazy smile.

Sam easily caught onto his brother's line of thinking and was about to ask Gabe for his help when Cas hissed.

_"Christo."_

Gabriel's eyes immediately slid to black and Sam leapt backwards as if burned. Dean's eyes widened and he let go of Cas, reaching for his flask of holy water.

Gabriel, or the thing inside Gabriel, held up its hands in a placating manner.

"Easy tiger," he glanced at Sam, who was pointing the Demon knife in his direction. "I won't bite." He smirked at Cas. _"Much."_

In a second, Cas had crossed the floor and had Gabriel pinned against the table, his blade against his throat.

"Get out of my brother's vessel."

The creature laughed, not bothering to return his eyes to normal.

"Sorry, kiddo. I am your brother. A little different than before, I'll give you that, but still more powerful than you."

As soon as the words had left his lips, Cas was thrown across the room, the Winchesters joining him when they moved to attack the intruder.

Gabriel snickered at their pained groans and sauntered over, soulless eyes glinting with horrific thoughts of torture and screams of agony.

He hauled Cas to his feet by his neck, taking perverse pleasure when the Angel choked and scrabbled at his hand. He pinned Cas against the wall, forcing the Winchesters back down with a flick of his wrist when they tried to protect their friend.

"It's weird being a Demon," commented Gabe as if he wasn't crushing Cas' windpipe. "I know I should detest it. I know I should feel disgusted at myself after having been an Angel, but there is a certain... joy to it all. It's actually quite fun being able to do whatever I want and there be no repercussions. What's funnier is I'm almost as powerful as I used to be, not quite, but almost and that makes me more powerful than you and all those below Archangel rank."

Cas coughed and wheezed, blood trickling down his lip as the Winchesters writhed on the floor, trying desperately to help Castiel.

"You're preaching to the choir," groaned Dean, his body aching from the effort of fighting Gabriel's forces.

Gabriel cocked an eyebrow and suddenly Cas was released and the invisible force holding the Winchesters to the floor was lifted.

Cas fell to the ground in pain and when Gabriel clicked his fingers, the pain also disappeared.

Cas had whiplash from it all.

He climbed to his feet unsteadily, watching Gabriel as the Demon smirked at him with his arms crossed over his chest. The Winchesters followed suit and there was a silence as Team Free Will sized the former Archangel up.

Gabriel chuckled, but it was a horrible sound and nothing at all like the free spirited laugh they were used to.

"Don't look so maudlin." He contemplated them all for a moment. "I know I've missed quite a bit since I died, so we're going to have to have a catch-up. However, since you're all wondering how I got like this, let me explain. Yes, I died, but I left a little slither of grace behind. After all, I am the Trickster. I know things." He wiggled his eyebrows. "Since you didn't have the decency to burn my body and instead left me _rotting_ in that motel," he sneered at them, a bitter look in his eyes, "I was taken to a mortician. It seems that some idiot of a Demon decided to try and possess my body and instead ended up merging part of his dark, brooding, broken, little soul with my grace. He's dead now, by the way." A twisted look of pleasure crossed Gabe's face. "It was enough to spark some life back into me and my grace flared from the extra juice. So now, I'm part Demon, part Angel and I've gained some lovely thoughts in the process."

Sam and Dean's eyes widened and Cas edged over to the brothers, his mind plummeting into the red zone with the new information. If what he was saying was true, Gabriel was extremely dangerous and highly unstable, which would account for the quick shift in moods. 

Sam and Dean were eying up every possible exit, but Gabriel knew where their thoughts were heading and with a wave of his hand, every door, window and archway was sealed up.

Cas tightened his grip on his blade and Gabriel pulled a face, irritation clear in his expression. 

The blade vanished from Castiel's hand and appeared in Gabriel's.

"You can't beat me, so why try? Besides, I actually came to you for advice."

Team Free Will were getting headaches from all the confusing antics.

"What kind of advice?" Asked Sam uncertainly.

"Well, you two have been around the circuit a couple of times. You know that Demons have to actually work, especially you, Dean." He shot Dean a triumphant smirk and the older Winchester didn't want to know how Gabriel knew about his stint as a Demon.

"And I'm not too fond of the idea of working for Crowley, or my brother, considering he's the one who murdered me." He paused, a hundred and one thoughts rushing through his mind about how he could punish Lucifer for his betrayal. 

"And to be honest, I can't be bothered with the whole usurping thing and having a million minions looking to me for orders; it all sounds incredibly boring and not much different to my time in Heaven. So I was wondering what you thought I should do about it. No stupid suggestions."

Cas thought it odd that his brother would come to them for something like this. Couldn't he make his own decisions? 

...Unless he was more unbalanced than Cas thought and his brain was a jumble of Angelic rules, Pagan rituals and Demonic torture methods. Maybe his mind was warring with itself to make some sense of all the clashing ideologies? That meant that Gabriel was open to any encouragement they gave and he would probably have difficulty in seeing any subtle manipulations they made of him. 

Before Dean could say something ridiculous that was bound to make Gabriel angry (like _"How about you stand there whilst we shove this blade through your throat?"_ ), Sam jumped in, obviously having come to a similar conclusion.

"We could exorcise you. Get all the Demon out of you so you're just pure Archangel."

Castiel nodded and Gabriel mulled this over before chuckling lowly.

"I don't think so, Samsquatch. I'm not stupid. I'm not letting you anywhere near me with one of those ancient spell books."

Cas sighed. Of course Gabriel would be suspicious of everything, now. He racked his skull for anything of use and blinked when an idea popped into his head.

"Maybe we could teach you how to control your powers?"

Gabriel frowned in confusion. "How will that help me from getting away from Crowley's rules?"

"If you prove that you can't harm people, he won't consider you a Demon, especially when he can already see the slither of grace in you."

It was true. Cas could see into Gabriel's being and it was mostly a mutated, blackened, burned soul, but right at the centre was a tiny, blinding shimmer of light. If Gabriel could control his urge to torment and kill, he wouldn't have to work for Crowley... and maybe Team Free Will wouldn't be under constant threat of extinction.

Gabriel seriously considered this before nodding slowly. "You make a good point." Suddenly, he gave them a toothy grin. "But I wouldn't go so far as to think I won't kill you if you make any wrong moves."

Cas grimaced. Gabriel obviously had no problem with reading their thoughts.

"Considering Dean is the most experienced at handling Demon urges, maybe he should be the first to help me?" Continued Gabriel and Dean soon found himself alone with the half-Demon, Cas and Sam nowhere in sight.

"What have you done with-?" Dean was cut off as a piece of tape sealed itself over his mouth.

"Temper, temper, Dean-o. Now," Gabriel clicked his fingers and two chairs flew to their position. He shoved Dean into one as he took the other. "Why don't you tell me all about your stint as Deanmon?"

Dean frowned at the odd nickname then scowled at Gabriel, who rolled his eyes and made the tape covering his mouth vanish. 

"How about I don't?" Dean growled.

Gabriel shook his head and tutted. "That won't do, Dean, it really won't. I suggest you tell me how to deal with these murderous thoughts, otherwise you'll be my next victim."

"I don't know how to deal with them, because I couldn't do it myself."

"Then you may want to think of something before my hand... _slips._ "

"How about I let my hand slip with the Demon knife in it, straight into your skull?"

The room crackled with energy and Dean shrunk in on himself, realising his mistake too late. A few lights exploded and a gush of wind knocked a tall book case over. Gabriel had stood from his chair, it being on its side about seven feet away and Dean quickly found himself on the floor with six great imposing shadows looming over him.

They looked vaguely like wings, but when Dean looked to the source, they weren't like any wings he'd seen before. Instead of feathers, there was a mixture of smoke and ash and an almost leathery substance taking the form of an Archangel's wings. They looked like they were rotting away from the bottom, upwards and some parts of the 'wings' were deformed with holes in them and a thick black smoke was leaking out from them. The largest of the figures stretched at least ten feet in width, wings spanning just over twenty feet in their entirety and the lights casted a red hue to certain parts of them, making Gabriel look even more ominous than he had when he'd slammed Cas against the wall.

His eyes were an inky black as he regarded Dean coolly.

"You better watch your tone, boy. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry."

If this wasn't _'angry'_ , Dean would hate to see his definition of _'furious'_.

He backtracked. "I'm sorry. Let me see Cas and my brother and we can work something out. I can't do this without them."

Gabriel watched him for a few moments before finding the terms agreeable and with a snap, everything was back to the way it was; tables and book cases upright and Sam and Cas standing confused in the middle of the room.

"Dean!" Sam shouted when he saw his brother on the floor, but as he ran towards him, a chair hit the back of his legs and he fell into it with a groan. By the time he opened his eyes, he, Cas and Dean were seated around the table from earlier, thoughts racing and stomachs unsettled.

Gabriel grinned, pleased at his work, before walking over to join them.

He smiled at them when he sat, in a way that was obviously meant to be reassuring but actually made Sam's heart leap to his throat. Dean looked ready to throw up.

"Enough games, Gabriel. If you want us to help you, then at least give us time to think," said Castiel, getting tired of the shows of power.

Gabriel gave him a lopsided smirk.

"Don't get above your station, brother. Do I need to give you the same demonstration as Dean-o?"

Cas frowned but he soon relented when he saw Dean's frantic shake of his head.

"Alright. Allow us some time to plan how to do this and I promise we won't push you into anything you're not comfortable with," sighed Cas.

Gabriel leaned back in his chair and gave them a vague wave of his hand.

"Think away."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is an old thing I started writing a few of months ago, but it never really went anywhere. I do think this part can be stored here though.
> 
> Do you have any requests? One shots, word prompts or otherwise, I'll endeavour to do my best :) Hope you liked this! Constructive criticism welcome.


	5. Interpretation - Sastiel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Chapter 5: Omega Castiel has two children, Ambriel and Alfie, who he'd do anything for. His mate, Richard Roman knows this and uses it to his advantage. Then Sam shows up and Alfie's world turns very confusing. He doesn't like Sam very much and then he notices the bruises on his omega father's face. Sam is going to pay for hurting his dad, but is it really Sam who's to blame?_

Samandriel, or as he was better known ‘Alfie’, was sixteen. He was an alpha and had a younger beta sister by the name of Ambriel. She was seven.

And a half.

They had two fathers; omega Castiel and alpha Richard Roman, and they all lived together in an expensive house with elegant furnishings.

Ambriel was extremely creative, even for her age and Alfie was known as having one of the brightest minds in his school. Richard provided for his family extremely well and Castiel seemed to have a little bit of knowledge in everything; nurturing his children’s talents and encouraging them to grow in a manner that rivalled even the most caring and tender of mothers. His family was his entire world. 

Life was good despite the prejudices society held.

Alphas were expected to be the bread-winners. They were the ones who worked, protected their family and kept their partners and children under a roof. Alphas who were caught letting their partners work whilst they stayed at home to care for the children or manage the house were seen as weak, lazy and useless.

Omegas were expected to look after the house and children. They cooked and cleaned and did all the chores to make their partner proud. Omegas had little choice in terms of a career or even a job. An omega who didn’t have a family (particularly older ones) were labelled _‘rebellious’_ or _‘unfit for purpose’._

Betas were a bit more flexible as they could take on the role of either alpha or omega in a relationship, yet whichever one they acted as, the same titles applied. Beta-beta couples were often left alone in the whole ‘expectation game’ and most were grateful for it.

Back to Alfie and his family.

Castiel and Richard had been mated for twenty years, married for twenty-two and together for twenty-five. 

Alfie knew his parents shared a happy relationship. They wouldn’t have had children otherwise.

Sure, they argued sometimes, just like every other set of parents, things got thrown or smashed every so often, but no one got hurt and they’d always make up later. Richard would take his mate into his arms and softly apologise and Castiel would sag into him and offer his own apology.

Life went on. Richard went to work every morning (except weekends where they would often go out as a family) and Castiel would stay in and look after Alfie and his sister and manage the house.

The omega would help Alfie with his homework, and paint, play and bake with Ambriel whenever she turned her puppy-dog chocolate eyes upon him. Not that Castiel would deny his children anything.

Richard was proud of his omega and his children. He would nod and grin at his young before pulling Cas into his arms and whispering how much he loved him and how grateful he was of his efforts. Castiel would bow his head thankfully and lean into his alpha, closing his eyes as Richard peppered kisses to his face and neck and the bite mark on his collar bone that he renewed every so often.

Alfie was glad his parents were so affectionate with one another. He’d heard tales of his friend’s parents, where they had split up because of too much aggression in the relationship, or affairs had been revealed because of unhappiness in their own marriage. 

Single parents weren’t regarded with much respect; nobody wanted a drifter with a kid. Alphas didn’t want to raise someone else’s child, and omegas didn’t want the competition of someone else’s offspring against their own children. 

Thankfully, his parents loved each other dearly and their bond was regularly renewed.

And then, Sam had shown up.

Alfie had been suspicious of Sam right from the very beginning and had strived to keep Ambriel away from the strange man. He was tall, one of the tallest people Alfie had ever met and he had enough muscle to launch a ship single-handedly.

He was young as well. Seven years younger than both Cas and Richard and he was one of those big-shot lawyers that made everyone question how they were so good. 

Richard, being the owner of a huge business corporation, had called upon Sam to discuss problems he’d been having with a particularly tricky client. The young alpha had seemed sincere in his efforts to help Richard sue the client, and he had been friendly with the family whenever he had visited.

Too friendly.

Three months into building the case, Sam had taken a bit too keen an interest in Castiel whenever the omega appeared with drinks and snacks. He smiled too fondly when Castiel quietly played with Ambriel in another room, and he spoke too softly whenever the omega greeted him.

Alfie thought his omega father would rebuff the alpha’s attempts at flirting; it seemed so obvious that that’s what Sam was aiming for, yet either his father didn’t notice or he was too intimidated by Sam to speak up, because Castiel never once indicated he was irritated at the other man’s behaviour.

Four months into the case and Cas’ gaze started to linger too long on Sam’s body, their conversations lengthened (despite Castiel having nothing to do with the case) and their voices softened around one another. Castiel began to smile a little too wide at Sam’s presence; tender expressions of affection he never directed at Richard and the omega seemed to find ways to brush a hand over Sam’s knuckles, or accidentally knock his knee as he bent down to place a tray of snacks in front of both alphas.

Alfie began to believe Sam was somehow manipulating his father.

Richard however, never noticed. It was all very secretive; a gentle touch here, a subtle glance there, and Alfie’s alpha father never once mentioned how Castiel seemed to be more than a bit distracted when Sam visited.

Alfie didn’t like Sam.

 

* * *

 

It took six months for Richard’s case to be built and a single afternoon for Sam to have the tricky client, Alistair, locked up for fraud and theft.

Richard had been ecstatic but Castiel had seemed disappointed that Sam would no longer be visiting any more.

Alfie had breathed a sigh of relief; maybe everything would go back to normal now and his father would lose whatever interest he held in Sam. After all, it wasn’t fair on his alpha father after how he provided for their family.

Castiel started to invite Sam around when Richard was at work.

Alfie had been mortified. What was his dad doing? He knew Cas had very little variation in his life when Richard was at work as he wasn’t supposed to get a job due to his status as omega, but surely he could’ve invited some other friends around rather than a handsome alpha that seemed to have developed a crush on him?

Actually, when Alfie thought about it, he hadn’t ever seen his omega father with any friends that weren’t from Richard’s firm.

Still, something inside him twisted painfully when he saw his father and Sam together. They didn’t really do all that much, just talked and watched TV and sometimes listened to music, but Ambriel had taken an instant liking to Sam and Alfie could no longer keep her away from the unwanted alpha. 

And wasn’t it just the icing on the cake when Sam took an immediate liking back?

Cas’ affectionate gazes turned adoring and his touches lingered longer. 

Sam visited more often.

Alfie’s fists would clench whenever the alpha’s gaze roamed over Castiel’s body. Although they hadn’t yet done anything with one another, he came to the decision that Sam was looking for a quick roll in bed and he was going to end up hurting his father in the process if Castiel didn’t tell him he wasn’t interested soon. He still wasn’t entirely convinced Sam wasn’t bullying his father into feeling something for him. Alphas were known for their intimidation techniques. 

Richard still didn’t know that Sam was visiting three times a week now and had been for three months.

There had been one time when Sam had invited Cas to his house, but the omega had gently refused, saying he couldn’t leave Ambriel alone and Richard would grow suspicious. 

Alfie had smirked in triumph from his position eavesdropping behind the living room door when Sam had remained silent.

The next time he offered and Castiel refused with the same reasons, Sam had offered for both Ambriel and Alfie to accompany them on an outing to the cinema. 

They had arrived back home before Richard had finished work and Ambriel was extremely excited to tell her alpha father about the amazing day they’d had with Sam. Richard listened patiently with a small smile and never once questioned Castiel. 

Alfie was shocked to find his omega father looked almost… _smug._

He toyed with the idea of revealing his doubts of Castiel’s faithfulness to his other father. Maybe if he did, his alpha dad would be able to warn Sam off and reassure his omega father that he didn’t have to feel intimidated by the other alpha.

He resolved to sleep on it.

 

* * *

 

Castiel was becoming more and more unhappy. Alfie could see it in the little things; the way he walked, the way he looked defiant when his mate was in the room, the way he talked back to his mate when he hadn’t before. Even his eyes looked upset.

Richard never said anything. He kept calm and quiet, continuing to pepper kisses over his mate’s neck and body, even when Cas stiffened. The alpha would whisper tender words to his lover and touch him the same way he used to, but Castiel no longer responded with a bowed head and murmurs of thanks; he would move away from Richard, shoot narrowed glares at him, or stalk to a different room to play with Ambriel or chat with Alfie.

The omega had also started to go out more, taking Ambriel on his ‘dates’ (and Alfie growled at the thought) with Sam and offering for the teen to accompany them. Granted, they were just movie days, or afternoons at the local water park or zoo for Ambriel (who also didn’t go out much because Cas never went out much) and Sam had even tried to entertain Alfie with laser tag and baseball on a couple of occasions (but after realising the teen didn’t seem to particularly like him, he had backed off).

Alfie didn’t like the way Sam was tearing their family apart and forcing Cas to go out with him despite him already being married and mated. 

Then Alfie had spotted the bruise.

It had been approximately six months since Sam had started visiting the house when Richard wasn’t home and one afternoon when Sam had visited them once again, Alfie had been in his sister’s room, entertaining her whilst keeping her away from the untrustworthy Sam, when the teen had heard a hushed sob from the kitchen.

Alarmed, he crept downstairs and hid behind the door.

Sam had a grip on Castiel’s shoulders with one hand, whilst the other held a wet flannel with what looked like makeup smudged across it and the omega wasn’t meeting his gaze, tears falling down his cheeks. Then he turned slightly and Alfie bit back a horrified gasp at the ugly purple bruise colouring a large section of his cheek. 

Sam was scowling, mouth turned downwards in the picture of anger as Castiel refused to meet his eyes and when he finally did, his gaze was full of shame and fear.

Alfie was furious. How dare someone hurt his father! Especially this roving alpha who wasn’t in any way welcome into their home. His alpha father would hear about this and he would beat Sam bloody for hitting his mate.

Expression still full of rage, Sam tugged Cas to his chest and the omega didn’t fight it as he buried his face in Sam’s neck.

Alfie shuffled a little closer to hear what was being said. It was difficult to pick up on everything.

“…Leave him… better than him…” He could vaguely hear Sam say and Alfie wanted to snarl. Sam would never be as good as his alpha father.

“…Can’t… hurt me… hurt my children…” Alfie knew he’d been right to keep Ambriel away from Sam. If only his father had seen what he’d seen in Sam so early on.

“You can’t protect them…” Alfie clenched his fists.

“…Love Richard… leave… go…” Finally! His father was standing up to the revolting alpha.

“I’ll take you… Ambriel and Alfie… mine…” Alfie would fight until his dying breath to keep his little sister from that evil alpha’s claws.

There was a silence and he risked another glance at the pair. His father was staring wide eyed at Sam with an expression Alfie couldn’t quite identify as the alpha stared back with a determined expression.

Then Sam leaned down and pressed their lips together and Alfie saw red. 

He wasn’t stupid. He was quite lean for an alpha and confronting Sam now would only end in bloodshed for him. He needed to tell his alpha father what was happening.

He sprinted upstairs to think about what he was going to do.

 

* * *

 

Alfie chickened out at the last moment. If he told his alpha father about Cas’ affair, would Richard grow angry at Cas’ betrayal? Would he, after mauling Sam, divorce Cas and leave? 

He knew his omega father was in trouble, but he couldn’t bring himself to say anything. What if by doing what he thought was right, he somehow made things worse? His omega father had made a mistake, but Alfie still loved him dearly. He was the one who had raised him and his sister all their lives and taken care of them when their other father was at work. He didn’t want to hurt his omega father.

But then, as Sam’s visits increased, the bruises grew worse.

Surely his alpha father had noticed them? Sam wasn’t even bothering to conceal them with makeup now; with large purple marks covering the skin on his arms or face or chest, or deep gashes lancing across his body more and more, it was hard to miss that the omega was being abused. Why hadn’t his alpha father said anything? Cas was even beginning to smell a little like Sam now (in Alfie’s eyes, proof that the lawyer had forced his dad into pleasuring him).

Sam steadily grew more enraged as the days passed and the month after Alfie had spotted the first bruise, the young lawyer finally blew his lid.

Cas and Sam’s voices erupted into a screaming match but Alfie couldn’t hear what was being said because Ambriel burst into tears and Alfie immediately ran into her room to quieten her; he didn’t want Sam storming after his baby sister in his furious state.

After a few minutes, the shouting died down along with Ambriel’s cries and when Alfie dared to peek around the landing to glimpse what was happening, he could see Sam holding his father as the omega sobbed brokenly into his chest. Sam wore a pained expression as he stroked his hand up and down their father’s back and he was whispering low words to the other man as their father whimpered.

All Alfie could see was an alpha manipulating his father with his deceitful words. Nobody made his father and sister cry and got away with it.

When Sam left that evening and Richard returned home a half-hour later, Alfie told him what had been happening for the past few months.

“And your father kept all this from you and your sister? He tried to hide it from you?” Asked Richard with a frown and at Alfie’s nervous hesitation, he shook his head. “I just want you to be honest, Samandriel. He never spoke of the affair or the abuse? To anyone?” 

Alfie shook his head sadly and Richard nodded unhappily.

“Please don’t leave us,” murmured the teen and Richard smiled as he put his hand on his son’s shoulder.

“I’m not going to leave you or your father anytime soon. I’m going to have a talk with him.”

Alfie nodded and watched his father climb the stairs to where his omega dad was reading Ambriel a bedtime story.

By the time he’d got himself a drink and made it to his room, Ambriel was fast asleep and he could hear muffled voices from his parents’ room. He quirked a smile in relief and retired to bed.

 

* * *

 

Ambriel shuffled into his room at two in the morning to state that she couldn’t sleep after waking from a nightmare. Alfie read to her for a while, but after it became apparent that she needed one of her parents to reassure her, he grabbed her hand and guided her to their parents’ bedroom.

It being too early for him to remember the rule about knocking, he flung the door open and was about to ask one of his parents to help with Ambriel when his brain finally caught up to what he was seeing.

Castiel was on his back, pinned to the bed by Richard with his mouth tightly gagged. He was mostly clothed; the only place exposed being his chest and stomach and Alfie gasped at the shocking red marks blanketing his stomach and most of his chest where he had been pummelled repeatedly at full force. The damage was all below the neck line of his shirts. 

However, one side of his jaw was swollen and blood was leaking in a steady trail from his lip as he stared at his children with horrified eyes, unable to move.

Richard glared at their intrusion with burning anger.

“Go back to bed,” he said lowly, warningly and Alfie took one look at the mating bite mark on his omega father’s collar bone, bleeding heavily from where his other father had sunk his teeth too harshly into it in punishment, and for the first time ever, snarled at his dad as he pushed Ambriel behind his defensive position.

“Leave him alone!” He growled and Castiel screamed through the gag at him as Richard’s gaze narrowed.

“Don’t you talk back to me, son,” hissed Richard and Alfie gulped as Castiel thrashed beneath his mate.

Richard belted him across the swollen part of his face.

Ambriel cried.

Alfie rumbled threateningly. 

Richard lunged for him.

As soon as the young alpha’s head smashed into the floor, he knew he’d made a mistake. But at least he’d got his alpha father away from the omega. He was lost and fearful and betrayed at realising it was his own dad who’d been dealing out abuse and not Sam, so he couldn’t fight back when Richard’s knuckles collided with his cheek. 

He didn’t understand. Why was his father doing this? What had happened to his parents’ relationship? How long had the abuse lasted for? 

He felt hot tears stinging his eyes as he glanced at the father who had provided a home and a family and safety for the seventeen years he’d been on this planet and he raised his arms to defend himself as Richard pulled back for another swing at him.

Suddenly, the weight on his body lifted and he turned to see Castiel clawing at Richard; the two snarling and swiping at each other viciously, each trying to subdue the other.

Then, Richard kicked his mate in the stomach, sending him smacking into a wall with a groan.

When Richard raised to his feet, there was blood and bruising everywhere and he snapped his attention to his son, fists clenched.

“When I give you an order, I expect you to follow it!” He roared. “How dare you growl at me! Do you want to end up like your father?”

Ambriel whimpered from where she’d curled up into a little protective ball and Alfie scrambled to his feet when Richard made a grab for her.

Castiel ploughed into him.

“Get away from my daughter!” He spat as they punched and tore at each other, landing dirty blows and brutal kicks to one another’s bodies.

Alfie hauled his sister into the bedroom and sprinted for Cas’ mobile.

“Sam! We need help!” He cried desperately into the receiver as he heard his omega father groan in agony. He stuffed the phone into his pocket and knelt in front of Ambriel. 

“Lock yourself in the bathroom,” he said and as she moved towards it, Alfie ran onto the landing, blood turning to ice when he realised his alpha father was smashing his fist repeatedly into his omega dad’s face.

He managed to grapple Richard off the omega and the two alphas struggled for a moment before Castiel groggily picked up a heavy glass ornament from a nearby cabinet and crashed it into his mate’s head.

Alfie grabbed his father’s hand and led him to the bathroom, where Ambriel opened the door for them, tears streaming down her face.

“Daddy!” She shrieked and Castiel crouched down and pulled her into his arms.

As the situation sunk in and Alfie locked the door, he felt his body get hot and he began to feel very dizzy as a choked sob escaped his throat.

“This is all my fault,” he breathed. “I told him… I told him about Sam…” he crumpled to his knees and Castiel easily caught him and pulled both his children into a protective embrace.

“No, this isn’t your fault. Don’t ever believe it’s your fault.”

Alfie keened. “It is! I told him! I… I saw you and Sam… and I thought he… You were hurting and I thought if I told dad, he would…” He buried his face into Cas’ bare chest, crying loudly and Cas hushed him.

“Shh, it’s okay,” soothed the omega. “You didn’t know. I should’ve told you what was going on.” He nuzzled the teen’s hair. “I wanted to protect you,” he mumbled. “I didn’t want you to see what was happening. Didn’t want either of you to see…” He trailed off as Ambriel snuggled further into his side.

There was silence for a few minutes before Alfie held his father tighter.

“How long?”

When Cas didn’t respond, Alfie persisted. “How long? Tell me.”

The omega sighed softly and placed a kiss to his son’s head.

“Since you were a baby.”

Alfie wanted to throw up. 

He choked on a sob and buried his head into his dad’s neck in despair.

“Why didn’t you leave?”

Castiel shook his head. “I didn’t want you to have that life. I wouldn’t have been able to get a high-enough paying job to give you the life I wanted you to have. You would have been belittled by the neighbours for coming from a single-parent family and our whole lifestyle would be completely different. I may not have been able to afford food or heating and I couldn’t condemn you or your sister to that.

“I didn’t want you to start life with a disadvantage and I knew your father could provide.”

Alfie shook his head, tears rolling down his cheeks.

“It’s better than this. Better than what he’s done to you!”

Cas smiled sadly. “I would do the same thing over again if I thought it would give you both the lives you deserve.”

Alfie wept openly. He should have seen what was going on behind closed doors; should’ve defended his omega father. Now it was too late and the damage had been done.

And he’d made it worse.

Castiel hugged his children closer and he let them cry onto him for a few minutes as he stroked their backs comfortingly.

“Sam gave me hope,” he whispered softly and both children’s sniffles quietened.

“He took an interest in me and it’s been so long since anyone has ever looked at me the way he did… I got a little excited,” he admitted. He sighed heavily. 

“Make no mistake, there was one time that I loved your father deeply. He was my world and I think at first, I was his. But something went wrong, and I don’t know what it was, but he suddenly didn’t want me anymore. I stayed with him because I knew it would benefit you two.

“So when Sam started sneaking glances at me, I felt that little spark I used to get when I first dated your father.”

He turned a knowing gaze upon Alfie.

“I know you don’t trust Sam, but I assure you, he’s kind and gentle and has the biggest heart I’ve ever seen. He wanted to start his own family, but his fiancé, Jessica was killed in a fire a few years ago and that’s why he liked it when you guys came along on our outings. You were the children he could never have.”

Alfie felt even more guilty.

Castiel pulled a face and squeezed his son’s shoulder.

“Don’t look like that. You never knew; it’s okay.” He huffed humourlessly. “When I let it slip about the abuse, he said he wanted to take us to his home. He said he wouldn’t let anyone talk about us because he’d take us in as if we were his own family. He said he’d pay for us and give us our own beds even if we just wanted to live as friends. It was a generous offer.”

Alfie gulped. “You should’ve taken it.”

The corners of Cas’ mouth quirked upwards and he opened his mouth to say something when there was a heavy pounding on the bathroom door.

Alfie paled.

“Open this door, Castiel!” Roared Richard and Cas shoved his children behind him, backing towards the far wall as he crouched in front of their shaking forms.

The banging got louder and Alfie searched desperately for an escape route, horrified when he couldn’t locate one. The bathroom wasn’t even part of an outside wall, so there were no windows.

“Stay behind me,” muttered Castiel and Alfie shielded his sister with his own body.

Dust and chippings began to tumble from the beautiful wooden doors as Richard’s onslaught continued.

“I said: open this door, you worthless piece of- ” he cut himself off as there was the sound of scraping and rummaging on the other side of the door.

Then, a metal pipe ripped through the wood panels. It continued to beat at the door, until it fell off its hinges and a bloody Richard was able to limp in.

Cas growled at his mate, covering his children more wholly.

Richard chuckled darkly as he stalked towards them, radiating alpha rage and power.

“I think it’s time to show you why I’m the head alpha of this household,” he snarled, pipe trailing along the floor beside him. “You could’ve avoided this, kids, if you’d just have gone back to bed. But you disobeyed me and I won’t stand for this rebellious behaviour. I am your father and you will do as I say and I’m going to show you what happens if you don’t.”

He raised the pipe and Castiel spread his arms wide in front of his children. 

Just as Richard readied the pipe for a devastating blow to his mate’s face, there was a deep rumble and suddenly, the alpha crashed to the floor with a startled yelp.

Sam had him pinned, teeth bared in challenge as his expression gave way to his utter fury.

Richard, for the first time ever, looked slightly scared.

Sam was a huge man with muscles the size of footballs and he didn’t look too pleased at the fact that both Castiel and Alfie were sporting a variation of cuts and bruises.

“You are going to stay on this floor whilst I take Castiel, Samandriel and Ambriel to my house. You are not going to follow us, nor are you ever going to try to contact us ever again. If you even look like you’re going to get up, I will not hesitate to throw you out of the bedroom window, understand?”

Richard snarled and Sam narrowed his gaze as he wrapped his hand around the other alpha’s throat.

“Do you understand?” He repeated slowly as Richard scrabbled at his fingers, his face morphing from its regular tan, to red, to an off-colour blue.

“Yes,” he choked and Sam released him as he nodded for Castiel and his children to move into the bedroom. Only then did he get off the downed alpha.

As they made their way onto the landing, Sam turned once more in the doorway to the bathroom.

“Don’t forget what I said. I never want to see nor hear you again. Got it? Castiel, Samandriel and Ambriel are no longer yours to control and abuse and if you attempt to do any of these things, I will make you suffer in ways you can’t imagine.”

Richard gave one last defiant growl and Sam rumbled in response.

“You may remember I worked a case for you a while ago. A fraudulent and thieving client, right? It’d be a shame if I had to work against you, wouldn’t it? After all, you do own the majority of that company don’t you? I wouldn’t like some of that information you gave me get out into the public.”

Sam let the threat hang between them as he knew it would inspire more fear in the business man than any personal threat could. Richard remained on the floor.

Sam huffed and ushered the rest of the family outside.

“I’m going to take you to the hospital and then we need to have a discussion about what you’d like to do from there,” murmured Sam as they bundled into his car.

Alfie and Castiel shared a glance and when Ambriel snuggled closer to her father, Alfie nodded.

“We want to stay with you,” he stated firmly and Sam paused, surprised at the fact Alfie was actually talking to him instead of growling or shooting him heated looks.

“…Are you sure that’s what you want?” He asked cautiously and Alfie nodded.

“You said you wanted a family, well now you’ve got one.”

Sam looked pathetically hopeful.

Castiel chuckled as he smiled at his son.

“That is, if you’ll have us,” he mumbled softly and Sam was beginning to preen.

“You know I would’ve taken you months ago,” he said, glancing at the family through his mirror. Then he ducked his head as his gaze met Cas’. “I’ve wanted you for a while.”

Cas smiled tenderly and Alfie realised he’d never seen his dad so affectionate with Richard in all his years alive.

His dad had a nice smile.

He wished he could’ve seen it sooner.

“I think dad’s wanted you for just as long,” murmured Alfie embarrassedly and Cas shot him an amused grin as Sam blinked.

They said nothing more until they arrived at the hospital, but as they got out of the car and made towards the entrance, Alfie pretended not to notice the way Sam held his father’s hand all the way to reception. 

He also made sure Ambriel didn’t notice the desperate kiss the two shared on the way in. 

Maybe now, his dad could be happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a little plot bunny in my head and I couldn't be bothered writing a whole story so I condensed it (a lot) and here it is. Hope it made you smile. 
> 
> Prompts, requests or ideas welcome! I'll do pretty much anything (except Wincest).


	6. Convenience - Debriel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Chapter 6: Dean, Sam and Cas are about to be murdered by some unimportant demons and angels. But Sam remembers that Dean isn't allowed to be killed because he's mated to the archangel Gabriel. It's news to Dean considering the archangel is dead. But he can roll with it._

"You can't kill Dean," said Sam.

The demons chuckled, their angel counterparts shaking their heads in exasperation. Apparently the two species had come up with the completely marvellous plan of attempting to work together to wipe Team Free Will off the face of the Earth. So far, it was going swimmingly.

"And why not? He's the one who released The Darkness in the first place," snorted one of the demons. They were all the grunts of the underworld; it didn't really matter what their names were. They might as well have been wearing red shirts on Star Trek.

The younger Winchester wracked his brain, trying to come up with an excuse as Cas subtly worked his failing grace at the sigils pinning them to the walls.

"Because..." Sam trailed off when he drew a blank and one of the angels (as important as a grubby plaster in the depths of the olympic swimming pool), rolled her eyes and waved her blade threateningly.

"Just kill them all and get it over with. Then we can all go back to being enemies."

"Works for me," said Redshirt #13 as he readied his knife. 

Dean gulped as he tried to fight the magic gripping him. It was about as effective as an American Express card.

"You can't kill him," hurried Sam as a flaming arrow from a Cupid's bow sailed through the air and speared the wall beside Dean's left ear, "because he's mated to the Archangel Gabriel!"

Dean blinked. It was the first time he'd been informed of this bond.

Even Castiel paused to ponder the flaws in this story.

"He's dead," one angel pointed out with the emotional availability of a brick.

"No," said Sam just as Dean replied "Yes."

The younger human glared at his brother as Redshirt #27 garnered a constipated expression.

"Are you sure?" Sam settled on as Cas created a tiny crack in the first sigil. 

"Yes," replied an angel who looked a little like Martin Freeman starring in his Hobbit role.

Sam shook his head as Cas began on the second sigil of three.

"Are you really, though?" Hedged Sam and the same angel raised an eyebrow.

"Yes," he repeated. "Now shut up so we can kill you without distractions."

"But what if you're wrong?" Asked Sam as the demons near the front sighed in irritation and drew their knives away from Dean once more.

"And what if we're not?" Redshirt #13 countered. He had a point.

"But what if you are and you kill an archangel's mate? I don't think he'd be too pleased, do you?" Huffed Sam.

Bilbo narrowed his eyes.

"Doesn't look mated to me."

Sam hesitated. He'd forgotten that angels could see into one another's graces as well as human souls. He'd just have to spin some elaborate tale about why they couldn't see the bond. It was okay, he'd already studied to be a lawyer; this was his realm.

"That's 'cause Gabriel's an archangel. Besides, are you really gonna take that chance? He might be the only one who can stop the Darkness."

Then Sam shrugged. Or at least attempted to. He succeeded in making his arm ache anyway.

"I mean, unless you want to give Lucifer a shot?"

A few demons grinned. A few angels stared in horror. The rest seemed like they just wanted to go home. Murder was tiring work.

"Prove it," said Redshirt #6 eyes glinting black. "Call upon him and see if he answers."

Sam panicked. He didn't think he'd get this far.

"He won't appear just because you demand him to. He has things to do."

Cas broke the second sigil and focused on the third.

"Like pushing up daisies?" Said the demon with a self-satisfied smirk as if she'd just won the comedic gold prize. Redshirt #13 rolled his eyes.

"He's millennia old. He's not gonna waltz in because you've been misinformed of his health." He'd probably be flattered that so many people cared, mind you. If he were still alive, that is.

"I'm sure he'll grace us with his presence if he believes his mate is in danger," drawled another uninteresting angel. She redeemed herself slightly when she held her blade to Dean's throat.

"Call him," she ordered.

Dean's eyes widened as he realised that after all he'd survived, he was about to be murdered by an extra.

When he didn't say anything and Castiel still hadn't damaged that third sigil, the angel pressed her blade further against Dean's throat, cutting the stubborn hairs he'd missed whilst shaving that morning.

"Call him," she insisted and Dean sighed as Sam looked on helplessly.

"Gabriel? It's uh... it's me. Dean. Y'know, your... mate. If you can hear me I'd really appreciate you coming in and saving us right about now."

It was a shame he'd never got around to writing a will.

Then again, it was a shame he'd never got around to actually owning anything valuable.

Well, there was his car, but nobody was going to pimp up his baby.

"Will you quit your whining, Princess? You always want me to do something for you. Get you this, get you that, sacrifice myself for the greater good. I don't know why I mated you."

Dean blinked. Then Sam blinked. Then all the demons and angels in the room blinked in unison (even though they didn't need to).

Cas frowned. He rarely blinked.

Gabriel stood beside Dean, leaning casually on the wall as he unravelled his lollipop.

He tapped at the blade shaving Dean's stubble.

"Do you mind?"

The lower angel glanced at him in shock, mouth wide open as Gabriel slowly pushed the blade from Dean's throat.

He shot them a dazzling grin and closed his sister's mouth.

Cas burned through the third sigil.

The archangel shrugged. "Well then. Now I've made my entrance and played my part, time to exit, stage left."

And with that, he clicked his fingers and the gaggle of demons and angels were left staring at a dull wall containing three damaged sigils and a flaming arrow.

 

* * * 

 

Initial shock worn off, Sam fingered his angel-killing blade.

"How are you still alive?" He demanded as Dean brandished his own blade. Cas' frown morphed into a puzzled scowl.

"I was going to ask you the same question," shrugged Gabriel before his shoulders slumped in defeat. "Wait, so you didn't resurrect me? Well, there goes my lecture on not playing with dead things."

"Why would we resurrect you?" Scoffed Dean. He still wasn't over the whole 'Groundhog Day' thing.

"Because I'm an archangel who potentially has the power to smite The Darkness, which I hear you two accidentally-but-maybe-on-purpose released when Dean got himself into a fix regarding the Mark Of Cain?" Tried Gabriel and both Winchesters nodded contemplatively. He had a fair point.

"Well, we didn't," said Dean.

"Oh," said Gabriel.

They stared at one another for a few moments, wondering where to go from there.

"How long have you been alive, brother?" Asked Cas, head tilted like a bird.

"What time is it?" 

Sam checked his watch. "Four-fifteen."

Gabriel nodded. "Two weeks."

Castiel nodded. That seemed reasonable.

"Why did you save us?" Asked Sam and Gabriel pulled a face.

"You're welcome."

"Thank you."

The archangel smiled, satisfied. "I wanted to tell you off myself for raising things from the dead, but there seems to be a hole in my plan considering you didn't actually try to bring me back." He frowned. "I'm kinda upset about that, actually."

Dean shrugged. "You did try to kill us, and succeeded, quite a number of times. Not to mention you tried to get us both to say _'yes'_ to Michael and Lucifer. You understand why it was a bit of a moot point."

Gabriel pouted. "I've changed. I threw myself on Lucifer's blade for you."

Cas squinted. "Does this mean you're on our side?"

Gabriel pulled another face. "It would probably be wise, considering the entirety of the angelic and demonic population now thinks Dean-o and I are mated." He snorted. "Whose genius plan was that, anyway?"

Sam looked vaguely guilty. "It doesn't matter. You're here now."

"Apparently."

"Whatever. Can you smite The Darkness or not?"

Gabriel heaved a sigh. "On my own? Probably not. It took five of us last time and I wouldn't like to lose my head when I've only just got it working again."

"You need Michael and Lucifer?" Said Cas unhappily.

Gabriel nodded. "And Raphael."

Cas found an interesting spot on the floor to stare at.

"...Right..." said Sam, scratching his neck awkwardly. "Could one or twenty of your Pagan friends not help us?"

Gabriel shook his head. "They didn't particularly like me as a Trickster and they like me even less as an archangel. Raphael will do fine."

Dean clicked his tongue. "You got any plan B's?"

Gabriel frowned and opened his mouth to question the evasive answer, when he spotted Cas' wince.

"You killed him."

"Possibly, but we're holding on to hope."

Gabriel rolled his eyes. "You three have built up quite the track record."

"...Yeah."

Another pause.

"I suppose I'll have to help you find another way," huffed Gabriel. "In the meantime, we have the little problem of the whole supernatural world thinking Dean and I are bonded."

Dean scowled. "How is that a problem?"

"Because we're not."

The older Winchester rolled his eyes. "Yes, but why is _that_ a problem?"

Gabriel crossed his arms and glared at Dean as though he were a particularly dumb child.

"Because anyone who's looking for one will see we don't share a bond and rank 'n' file demons and angels will just band together again to off the three of you like they did last time. Only this time, my head will also be on the 'wanted' poster. And as I've already said, I've only just got it working again; I'd like to keep it before the warranty runs out."

Dean scrunched his nose up in the picture of confusion.

"So... what did you want to do about it?"

Gabriel hesitated in contemplation for a few seconds, before inspiration struck and he briskly paced over to Dean and smashed his fist through his chest.

Dean howled.

Sam raised his blade.

Cas squinted.

There was a blinding golden light that enveloped both Gabriel and Dean, and when it finally faded, Dean looked like he hadn't the faintest clue where he was.

"What did you do?" Growled Sam and Gabriel held his hands up.

"Touched his soul and bonded my grace to it. Temporarily of course. It'll be all the fun of a regular mating bond but without the _everlasting_ part."

He wiggled his eyebrows. "Not any angel can do that."

Cas nodded his agreement.

Sam lowered the blade as Dean pawed confusedly at his chest.

"So, to an angel or demon, it looks as though you two are mated now?"

Gabriel nodded smugly. "And any Qareen, Pagan or other supernatural entity out there."

Dean scowled. "Isn't there a less painful way of binding us together?"

Gabriel shrugged. "Probably. But you didn't try to resurrect me after I died for you, so..."

"Thought a relationship was supposed to be about self-sacrifice?" Muttered Dean and Gabriel snorted. The human was taking all this remarkably well considering he was now tied to an archangel in every sense of the word. They'd probably start hearing each other's thoughts soon.

 _'You ever met a Zanna?'_ Dean asked in his mind and Gabriel chuckled.

_'Fair point.'_

_'It could be weirder.'_

"Just don't start leaking emotions. Okay, Ken-doll?" Said Gabriel out-loud and Dean pulled a face.

"Don't start remembering all the orgies you've had."

Gabriel winked. "I think you'd like some of them. The things Medusa can do with her snakes..."

Dean looked impressed. Sam was glancing between the pair, seeming a little freaked-out.

"What just happened?" Sam whispered to Castiel and the angel tilted his head again.

"I think they're communicating through thoughts. Although I'm not certain; I've never shared a bond with anyone before."

Sam took that to mean he had a shot with the angel. But now wasn't the time nor place to think about that.

"Is your mind not going to overwhelm my brother's?"

Gabriel snorted. "That's a little harsh. He's not that stupid."

Sam rolled his eyes. 

"No," said Gabriel, sobering up. "Dean's mind is fully protected because of the bond. He may even be able to see my true form if the bond is strong enough." He paused thoughtfully. "Although I wouldn't recommend attempting it. I could be wrong. I've never mated to a human before."

Dean frowned. "If it's any consolation, I've never mated to an archangel before."

Gabriel grinned. "Wouldn't be jealous if you had."

Dean smirked.

"Anyway," said Gabriel suddenly, clapping his hands together. "We need a plan to beat Amara. Any suggestions? No? To the library it is."

Sam watched his brother shrug and follow Gabriel without a single protest. He glanced at Cas.

The angel blinked for the first time in two hours.

They had both expected Dean to put up at least a bit of a fuss about the bond. They hadn't considered he might just accept it. 

"Maybe they are more compatible with one another than we first suspected," murmured Cas wisely and Sam nodded.

He was betting Dean was going to be involved with one of Gabriel's orgies by the end of the week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tried a different style of writing. Not too sure about it. Still, this was fun to write (even if it's only short) and hey, look! Debriel!
> 
> Hope you enjoyed.


	7. The Rearrangement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Requested by _Evangeline74_**
> 
>  
> 
> Prompt: _Dean is a servant to Prince Cas, who he is secretly in love with. But then a Witch by the name of Lilith casts a spell on him, which forces him to tell Cas about his feelings. Cas, despite sharing his feelings, rejects him since he is to be married to a princess. Heartbroken, Dean seeks the sorcerer Benny to give him a potion to make him forget his bond with Cas. Once he drinks it, he soon forms a friendship with Benny and eventually falls in love him. Cas gets filled with jealousy when he overhears Dean and Benny’s plan to run away together._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **This is only a short section of the fic to give you a taste of how it is written. For the full work, it's on my profile under the same title of 'The Rearrangement'.**
> 
>  
> 
> **(Or copy and paste the following link)**
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>  
> 
> http://archiveofourown.org/works/7777972  
>  
> 
> **Go check it out if you like this bit!**

“What if we despise one another? What if she has no morals and treats people like animals? What if she doesn’t agree with the way we run our kingdom?” Rambled Cas as Dean smiled and shook his head as he watched the Prince’s nervous pacing. He hadn’t had a chance to say _‘hello’_ yet.

“What if she’s arrogant and rude? What if she doesn’t like the castle?” Cas paused. “What if she _does_ like me?”

Dean raised his eyebrow at that but didn’t get a chance to speak as his friend continued, this time even more agitated.

“What if she expects lots of children? What if she expects me to love her back? What if she finds out I’m…?” He trailed off and Dean really did stand a little straighter at that.

What had Cas been about to say?

The Prince’s gaze darted to Dean as if he was expecting an answer, but there was also a hint of guilt in his eyes; shame even, at the unfinished sentence.

Dean felt as though he needed to reassure Castiel.

“I love you.”

His eyes widened as he slapped a hand over his mouth. Cas was staring at him as though he’d seen a ghost.

“That’s n-not what I meant,” stuttered Dean, horrified. “I-I meant to say: _You mean everything to me._ ”

He clamped his mouth shut once more in mortification. What was going on?! He’d never intended on saying any of that!

Cas was gaping at him, slack-jawed.

“I never… That wasn’t…” Dean stumbled over his words as he shook his head frantically. “I don’t know why I said any of that… All I wanted to tell you was _I’m in love with you._ ”

He took a step back, expression scandalised.

“Dean, stop,” gulped Cas, looking pained.

“I’m trying,” he grated out.

Cas looked stricken as they stared at each other for a few moments.

“I can’t help it,” said Dean suddenly, appalled at his own inability to stop the words tumbling from his lips. “I love you, Cas. I have done for years. You’ve been my best friend for so long and I’ve wondered so many times if we could be more than that. I’ve dreamt about kissing you, about touching you and feeling your body against mine. I want to wake up beside you every morning and know that you belong to me just as I belong to you; I want to scream it out to everyone how much I need you; how beautiful I think you are. I love your eyes and your lips and I love how kind and protective you are of your friends even when your family and associates don’t agree with you hanging around the likes of me and Sammy. I love how calm you are all the time and how you enjoy the tiniest things in life, such as the flowers and the bees. I love how gentle you are with everything around you and you make me feel as though I’m not just a servant to pick up after you, but rather a friend you share all your secrets with.

“I want to be more than a friend to you. I want to be yours. I want to marry you and stay by your side.”

At the end of his rant, Dean felt nauseous. Where did all that come from? Why couldn’t he stop it? Then he remembered Lilith’s words: _‘Let me help you express your feelings to him.’_

He paled. A spell to loosen his tongue.

Cas looked wrecked and Dean realised he’d probably be repulsed at the love of another man. He could be banished for this. Executed, if Cas saw fit.

“Why are you telling me this now?” Cas said hoarsely, eyes full of anguish.

Dean gulped as he shook his head. He had a feeling the spell had worn off now his feelings were out there, but he didn’t trust his own tongue.

“I… I can’t…” choked out Castiel, eyes squeezed shut and Dean raised a confused eyebrow. Why wasn’t Cas shouting at him? Ordering him to leave with disgust?

The Prince took a deep breath as he straightened.

“I’m to be married to Princess Milton,” he said emotionlessly. “The ceremony is in three days and you think it appropriate to reveal these matters to me _now?_ ”

Dean recoiled. Cas was never cold with him. It hurt that after opening his heart (however unintentional) the Prince would shut down on him.

“I-I’m sorry. There was a witch… and a spell… and I…” He trailed off and this seemed to make Cas slump in defeat.

“A spell?” He asked, strained. “You never meant any of it?”

Dean blinked. Why did Cas sound so broken at that? He slowly raised his gaze to meet Cas’ distressed one.

“No,” he said cautiously, searching his friend’s face for any stray emotions. Disappointment was clear in his eyes. “I meant every word. There was a spell, but it was to make these feelings known to you.”

A myriad of emotions crossed Castiel’s face then; understanding, hope and excitement, then fear, sorrow and guilt.

“I can’t…” whimpered Cas softly, pleadingly as he glanced to Dean. “It’s forbidden.”

Dean’s heart was pulsing twice as fast as it should have been.

“Do you…?” He whispered, throat dry and Cas’ eyes were full of helplessness.

“ _Yes._ ”

Dean’s heart did a back flip. He took a step towards Cas, but hesitated when the Prince took one step back.

“Dean, I can’t do this with you.” His voice shook. “I’m not allowed. I’m to be married to the Princess.” He closed his eyes regretfully. “And you’re just a servant.”

Dean felt his hopes come crashing down and he backed away from Castiel. What had he been thinking? Of course they wouldn’t be able to have what they wanted; they were far too different.

“I’m sorry, Dean,” murmured Cas brokenly. “I can’t give you what you want.”

Dean swallowed the lump in his throat as his back hit the door. He suddenly felt very hot and his heart seemed as though it was trying to tear itself in two.

“I-I’m sorry, Cas, I…” He stammered. Everything had fallen apart; his friendship with Cas, the secret of his sexuality that he had held onto for years. It had all been ruined by a single spell.

He couldn’t breathe. Cas loved him back but would never be allowed to show it. How could he work for someone who knew his desires and returned them, yet could never act on them? How could he watch someone else; a Princess, kiss and touch Cas whenever she wanted, however she wanted despite knowing Cas wanted him? How could he watch another person live the life with Cas that he craved?

He’d never be able to look into those sapphire eyes again.

He shook his head again. “I’m sorry, Cas,” he murmured, heart-broken before slipping out of the room and never once looking back.

He swore he heard another set of footsteps chase him down the corridor as he ran, but as he sprinted into the garden, where the guards eyed him suspiciously, the footsteps faded into nothingness.

He took a steadying breath.

First, he had to wish his brother farewell, and then he would leave this place forever. He couldn’t stay here.

His heart wouldn’t be able to take it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love requests, so if you have one (or even a word prompt) I'd be happy to have a go!


	8. Speed Date - Sastiel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Chapter 8: Heterosexual Sam visits a speed dating bar and realises something has gone wrong when a blue-eyed man is set up as his partner. They build a friendship despite the awkward start but when Castiel meets an old threat from his past, Sam finds he might not be as straight at he thought..._

Sam didn't frequent the speed dating scene. In fact, it was only his second time trying to find his soulmate within ten minute slots in some badly decorated, too hot, sweaty, loud bar area, with an over-enthusiastic, forty-something car salesman yelling down a crackly microphone about how the evening was going to work.

He wouldn't even be at the corny bar if his brother hadn't insisted that he needed to get over his girlfriend's ( _ex-girlfriend's_ , he reminded himself) move to the other side of the country.

Sam honestly couldn't see any problem with hibernating in his room with a good book (or ten) and a (bottomless supply of) beer for a few days (or months).

It's not like he didn't eat at all. He just forgot sometimes. Regularly. Actually, he couldn't bring himself to walk down the stairs to the kitchen.

It was no big deal. He'd only lost a few pounds.

Maybe Dean was right.

Still, the bar sucked and all the girls he'd talked to in the past hour were either cougars searching for a young, rich man (and Sam, being a fresh-faced university graduate with more debts than he cared to think about, certainly didn't fit into that category), or ditzy college drop-outs looking for well-muscled football players (he wasn't weak by any means, but he had no time for sport, so those meetings ended in disaster).

His previous (and only other) go at speed dating was pretty much the same, with the addition of a couple of snobby rich girls looking for a boy-toy and one promising accountant apprentice who he organised a date with, only to find her boyfriend waiting outside the joint to dump her cheating rear.

Still, after all of these disappointments, Sam had to admit that at least there was a chance (however small) of him being attracted to each and every one of them. 

He was pretty sure he couldn't say that about the dude with raven hair and blue eyes sitting across from him.

"Uh... I think there's been a mistake," chuckled Sam awkwardly and blue-eyes frowned slightly.

"I'm inclined to agree."

Sam blinked at the deep, gravelly tone. How unexpected from a guy who looked like he read books to the elderly for a living and ate nothing but greens. Then again, Sam was a bit of a health-nut himself.

"Sorry," grinned Sam as he offered his hand. "I'm Sam."

The other man stared at the appendage for a few moments before taking it gingerly in his own.

"Castiel."

Sensing the other man's discomfort, Sam withdrew his hand.

"Look, I'm not gay either, but there's nothing stopping us from chatting. I mean if you don't want to, that's fine too. If you'd prefer to eye up the pretty girls, I won't judge." Well that was a lie. He hated men who just saw women as objects or conquests; he hoped Castiel wasn't one of those jerks.

The other man frowned briefly and Sam let out an internal sigh of relief. Not one of those guys then.

"I'm not adverse to conversation," said Castiel quietly and Sam's lip twitched in joy at finally finding someone who actually seemed to possess a brain.

"Awesome," he grinned and Castiel offered a small smile in return.

"Well, I know your name and I know you weren't expecting to go on a _'date'_ with another guy, but other than that I don't know anything about you." He couldn't deny the dude suited a trench coat though. Made him look like a tax accountant, mind you.

"I once dated a woman named Meg who used illegal substances and stole my finances to pay for them."

 _Woah._ That wasn't what he was asking... Did this guy have a brain to mouth filter?

"Um... okay. I'm sorry to hear that?" Replied Sam, uncertain and Castiel seemed to realise his mistake because he blinked and leaned backwards.

"My apologies. I'm not very adept at small talk, as my older brothers have often informed me. My people skills are a little rusty."

Sam chuckled, relaxing slightly. "Don't worry about it. I guess my social skills have gone down the drain since Jess and I broke up." _Whoops._ He didn't mean to say that. Maybe he was becoming introverted. 

Castiel, however, didn't seem to notice his slip up and the fact that he was telling a complete stranger titbits of his personal life.

"My brother, Gabriel, is the one who forced me into coming here. He thinks I need to _'get laid once in a while'_ ," frowned Castiel and Sam's brain likened the expression to a rather put-out cat.

"Tell me about it. My older brother, Dean, has taken perverse pleasure in seeing who he can hook me up with. Most of the time it ends up with him in bed with a pretty girl, sometimes more than one."

Castiel tilted his head to one side like a bird as if carefully considering this piece of information.

"Your brother sounds a lot like mine."

Sam laughed. "And you said you have more than one. Man, I feel sorry for you."

A tentative smile slipped across Castiel's face. 

"I have three older brothers and three cousins who might as well live with us."

Sam whistled lowly. "Big family. It's just me, Dean and our father." _Who I never see and refuse to speak to because he's a drunken, prejudiced moron,_ Sam didn't mention.

Castiel's lip twitched. "Sounds heavenly."

The younger Winchester blinked in surprise. "It's really not. Trust me."

"When you come from a family that's big enough to fill an entire hotel and half of the people that come to visit you, you don't even recognise and aren't entirely certain are related to you, a family of three sounds wonderful."

Sam grinned. "When you put it that way..."

Castiel offered him a half smile before frowning in thought.

"So what happened with Jess?" He lowered his head slightly. "...If you don't mind me asking."

Sam tried to come up with a reason not to tell this stranger about his failed relationship. At finding none, he shrugged.

"Not much to tell. I loved her. She loved me. Her family moved to the other side of the country, we broke up and I haven't seen her since. We don't even keep in contact all that much now."

Sam bit his tongue to prevent himself from telling the other man about his heartache and agony and internal debate with himself on whether or not he should just let himself rot in his room for the rest of eternity.

Because that's not how you make friends.

Castiel contemplated him for a few moments. 

"If you truly loved each other, then why didn't you try to work it out? Couldn't you have visited each other over holidays or stayed in touch over webcam? I'm not fully up to date with technology myself, but maybe you could have phoned each other once in a while?"

And Sam had to stop himself from snapping at the guy, because that stung. In all honesty, they could have kept contact with each other; sure, it would have been a long distance relationship, but it would have only been for a few years and then they could have made a life together. The fact that they hadn't even tried said that they obviously hadn't cared for each other as much as they'd made out to.

...And if that wasn't a revelation for Sam.

Maybe the loss of Jess wasn't as great as he'd first thought.

Sam blinked, stunned at the realisation. Maybe it really was time to move on.

Castiel regarded him carefully, as if waiting for him to come to that conclusion and it was only when Sam looked up at him did Castiel avert his gaze.

"Forgive me. That was inappropriate."

Sam shook his head. "No... You're..." he trailed off, unwilling to admit that the other man was right. He changed the subject.

"Tell me about Meg. You said she stole from you?"

Castiel ducked his head and Sam briefly felt guilty that he'd asked him something so personal. Then again, Castiel was just as disregarding of personal boundaries.

"Yes. My mother and I don't always see eye to eye and she never approved of Meg, so naturally, I courted her for two years. Then I found out that money had been taken out of my bank account without my permission. It took me longer than it should have to realise that my girlfriend was stealing from me to buy narcotics. I had been keeping her in my apartment because she said she was having a hard time with her previous landlord, who was being unfair with her. As it turns out, he was attempting to throw her off his property because other residents were complaining about odd scents."

Sam grimaced. "Tough luck."

Castiel hummed in agreement. "She told me she worked as a waitress and her boss refused to pay her regularly. She said he treated her like dirt and I felt sorry for her. The reason she wasn't 'being paid', was because she was using her earnings up on her dealer."

Sam hissed in sympathy.

"Forget about her. You can do better, man."

Castiel sighed. "Apparently, so could she. She was having an affair with her dealer at the same time as dating me. A wanted psychotic criminal by the name of Alistair. She was just using me for money and she thought her dealer actually cared about her when he was only bothered about getting people hooked on drugs so he got paid."

Sam wondered if this poor man's luck could get any worse.

"Couldn't you tell she was on drugs? Weren't there any signs?"

Castiel huffed. "I keep asking myself that, but I never actually saw her all that often... which is rather depressing when you think we were supposed to be dating. Even when I saw her, she was covered in make-up and always wore high quality clothing; something else she stole money from me to buy."

Sam's face softened. "Sorry to hear that."

There was a pause, the only noises being that of the patrons around their booth, chatting and giggling with each other as they tried to find the right person to spend the rest of their days with.

"You don't want to be here and I'm not particularly fond of the idea of talking to more brainless, money-grabbing, dolled-up robots with the IQ of a brick wall." Castiel's lip twitched in amusement and Sam found a smile of his own slipping onto his face. "There's an old bar a couple of blocks from here. The Roadhouse. Owned by a couple of friends of mine. Wanna ditch this place?"

Castiel glanced at the girl to his left; a pretty blonde thing with a smirk like the Cheshire Cat and an eye on his wallet pocket.

"That sounds like a good idea," he said quickly and as he finished his sentence, a shrill bell rang, marking the point at which everyone needed to switch tables.

Sam and Castiel slipped out of the building and headed towards The Roadhouse.

 

* * *

 

A few beers, a couple of whiskeys and a shot each later, Sam and Castiel felt like they had known each other for years.

"Tell me about it! Dean always thinks he knows what's best for me. He's always telling me to loosen up, find a girl, talk to dad. It's infuriating!"

Castiel nodded wisely, slumping in his seat slightly.

"You don't have a good relationship with your father either?"

Sam shook his head. "After mother died when I was a baby, Dean said dad was never the same. Dad lives by the bottle, regularly left me and Dean in the house when we too young to defend ourselves, had more one-night stands than we had meals in a week. He was a mess and he expected me and Dean to actually thank him for it. Like I ever want to speak to him again." Sam leaned closer to Castiel, arm reaching out to the bar to steady his swaying and Castiel's face grew solemn, as if the younger Winchester were about to tell him the secret of the Earth.

"You know, Dean has raised me for as long as I can remember. Dad never looked after us; he left Dean to take care of me and he never gave him any thanks for that. I've not thanked him as much as I should have and I don't think I'll ever be able to tell him how grateful I am for what he did for me."

Castiel squeezed Sam's arm and the younger man found the gesture comforting.

"My brothers have always supported me in any way they can. I'm adopted and my mother and father have always seen fit to remind me of that fact. My brothers and cousins however, they have always wanted to make me feel like part of the family. They constantly defend me against our parents and they never leave me out of anything. I may complain about them, but I couldn't ask for better brothers or cousins even if I tried."

Sam nodded seriously as he raised his beer bottle. 

"Here's to awesome brothers."

Castiel raised his own bottle and they clinked them before taking a swig.

When Sam put his drink down he stared at the other man.

"You're a great guy, Cas."

Castiel blinked at the nickname before smiling that tiny smile Sam sort-of liked more than he'd care to admit.

"You should give yourself more credit, Sam. I've never been able to make friends all that easily, yet you're still here."

Sam grinned. "I'm your friend?" It should have sounded childish, but in his inebriated state, Sam felt that it needed to be said, just so Cas understood how much the sentiment meant to him.

Castiel obviously picked up on it and he put his hand on Sam's shoulder.

"Yes," he stated firmly and Sam was struck by how intensely blue Castiel's eyes were. They looked like beautiful sapphires glinting in the moonlight.

"I'm glad," he replied as he leaned back on his stool to sip at his beer.

"So am I," said Cas as he mirrored his movements.

They talked for another hour and at two in the morning, they exchanged phone numbers and called a taxi to take them back to their respective homes, grins lighting their faces the entire way,

 

* * *

 

Sam and Cas became close friends after that (hangovers out of the way). They often went to The Roadhouse to chat with Ellen, Jo and Ash (Sam's best friends and practical family) and Castiel always flushed cherry red when Jo tried to flirt with him (mostly because she did it in the most crude way possible to embarrass him in front of her mother, who thought he was the sweetest man alive).

Dean thought Cas had no grasp of personal space, but he quickly became fascinated with showing him the tricks of gambling and 'babe-hunting' after learning that the other man had no experience in either of these _aspects_ of life. 

He also tried to teach him about cars, hoping that if he couldn't have a motor-head for a brother, then maybe he could have a friend who he could turn into a grease-monkey. Sadly for him, Cas didn't know an engine from a battery and Dean slunk off from that little demonstration with his tail between his legs.

It turned out that Sam and Castiel shared a love for literature and they spent hours upon hours in libraries or even their own homes, just reading or talking about books. 

They visited museums (which Dean liked to tease them about, often and loudly) to appreciate art and culture and the history of their planet. 

Sam had never found someone who shared his intense love for mythology and lore, so he was delighted when Cas proved as knowledgable (if not more so) as him on the topics.

Of course, they didn't agree on everything. Sam liked modern music and Castiel didn't like anything past the twentieth century (although Dean tried to educate him on the rock legends and Sam had to laugh when Cas grimaced). 

Six months after their first meeting saw Sam and Castiel sitting opposite one another in Sam's lounge; the younger Winchester cross-legged on the floor and Cas half sprawled across the couch, both with a thick novel in their hands.

"Gabe tried to set you up with anyone since last time?" Asked Sam casually, eyes still on his book, but attention long lost.

Cas seemed to hesitate and he shifted slightly, making Sam lift his head.

"He has."

Sam frowned at the short, almost cautious answer. He raised an eyebrow.

"Did it go well?" He prompted, surprised and a little concerned when Cas' expression briefly crossed into something worried, before turning neutral.

"As well as you would expect."

Sam closed the book and placed it on the floor. It was unusual for his friend to be so evasive around him and Sam wanted to get to the bottom of it.

"Oh? Girls not to your tastes then?" 

Cas wouldn't look at him.

"The people there weren't what I was looking for."

Sam frowned. Odd wording. He plastered on a playful smile, hoping to relax his friend.

"You hoping for a woman with a brain _and_ a personality to frequent the speed-dating scene at our local run-down dump of a bar?"

Cas remained quiet and Sam grew extremely concerned.

"Cas? What's wrong? You know you can tell me."

The older man seemed to chew on his lip for a moment before searching Sam's face for something. Apparently, he found what he was looking for because he sighed and faced Sam dead on, attention focused whole-heartedly on him.

"The people at the bar... they weren't... _women_."

Sam blinked, brain trying to figure out that statement.

When Castiel realised he wasn't going to get much of a response he lowered his gaze.

"Sam... I'm bisexual. My brothers set me up with both males and females."

The younger Winchester raised an eyebrow. Well... he hadn't expected that. It dawned on him that Castiel was shrinking in on himself as if he was worried about rejection or Sam wanting to end their friendship. 

"Okay... um... I... I wasn't expecting..." he tilted his head at his friend. "Cas, why didn't you tell me before?"

If anything, this seemed to make Cas even more insecure so Sam hurried to elaborate.

"Not that it makes any difference what sexual orientation you are! I was just curious as to why you haven't told me before now? Did you think I wouldn't approve or something?"

Cas wouldn't meet his eyes and Sam realised he'd hit the nail on the head.

"Cas... You're my best friend. Do you really think I care who you take to bed?"

The older man raised his head slightly.

"Usually heterosexual males prefer to avoid me when they learn of my orientation. I must admit that I was... concerned."

Sam frowned. "Well those guys are idiots. You're a great friend and it's their loss."

Castiel regarded Sam for a few moments before relaxing slightly.

"Thank you, Sam. Your friendship means a great deal to me; it would be regretful to lose it."

The younger Winchester grinned. "Regretful? I'd be devastated!"

Castiel let a tiny smile creep onto his face. "As would I."

A comfortable silence fell between the pair before a thought occurred to Sam.

"Have you ever dated a man before, then? I mean, I know about Meg... but was there anyone else?"

Castiel cocked an eyebrow in amusement and Sam shrugged defensively.

"I'm curious."

The older man chuckled quietly.

"There was one. Business student called Crowley."

When Castiel didn't elaborate Sam tilted his head to one side. "Well?"

The other man raised both eyebrows and Sam grinned.

"What? You think 'cause I'm straight I don't want to hear all the details? I like gossip too! What was he like? Tell me all the dirty bits," he winked and Cas' face flushed pink.

"Umm... he and I... we didn't have the same interests," stuttered Cas and Sam leaned back.

"What do you mean? You just have nothing in common or was it more than that?"

Cas had gone back to not looking at him and Sam couldn't help but smirk at making his friend squirm; it was rather funny to see him acting so out of character over something as sappy as his love life.

"His group of friends were... devious at best. I often wondered how he always seemed to have so much money and he was highly respected by other students... when I look back, I realise it was fear not admiration."

The smile fell from Sam's face as worry settled in his stomach. Had Cas been hurt by this Crowley?

"What happened?"

Cas sighed and it was a bitter, self-depreciating sound.

"I should have seen it sooner, but I didn't believe that the person I thought I was in love with was capable of such atrocities. I didn't know the exact nature of his job and I still don't, but I do know he had a job between his studies. One that involved making deals with people who were facing a tough time. He would lend them money and if they didn't pay him back with interest on the agreed date, he would send his _friends_ to fix the problem. He had a few run-ins with the police and his friends often got caught, but he was good and they could never trace any of the 'accidents' back to him."

Sam frowned. "How did you find out what he was doing?"

"He tried to get me involved. He thought that because we'd been courting for eight months I would see things his way. I didn't see beating an elderly man nearly to death as 'the greater good' and I told him as much. He wasn't too pleased."

Sam had to stop his fists from clenching in fury.

"I thought I'd just be able to leave him, but he said I'd seen too much and he got his men to 'make me forget'. I landed myself in hospital and they said I'd been out cold for three days. Mother and father called me idiotic and an 'abomination' for being involved with a male criminal and my brothers were just glad that I was still alive. Lucifer even said he knew Crowley and had been threatened by him more than once."

Sam couldn't help the little growl that bubbled up in his throat and Cas startled at the sound, before his expression softened when he realised Sam was being protective of him.

"He hasn't bothered you since, has he?" Asked Sam quietly and Cas shook his head.

"I don't even know where he is. The last the police heard of him was he'd disappeared off the grid. Nobody knows where he's gone and those that do aren't speaking."

Sam let out a soft sigh of relief. "Good."

The pair didn't speak much after that, opting to read their books in a comfortable silence, but Sam couldn't deny the burning desire to protect his friend sparked from hearing that story, which was odd because he'd never felt something that strong around anyone, not even Jessica. He put it down to not having many friends with tragic pasts and hearing that Cas had been shunned by other men because of his sexuality only made it worse. He vowed to never treat anybody the way his friend had been treated.

 

* * *

 

"I can't believe you're dragging me to your high school reunion," griped Sam as he fiddled with his shirt buttons. Did he look too stiff with a tie? He glanced in the mirror once more and decided to ditch the tie, undoing his top couple of buttons. 

Castiel rolled his eyes.

"You cannot leave me alone with my brothers. That would be cruel."

Sam pulled a face. "Why are they even coming? They're older than you. It's not even their year."

Castiel sighed as if he'd been thinking about that all day.

"Gabriel wants to _'pick up hot chicks'_ , which means he's going to have an orgy in one of the bedrooms with several males and females, Lucifer's just there for the drink, which means Michael has to be the designated driver, because no way am I hauling an inebriated twenty-something year old back to mother's in a Prius."

Sam chuckled. "Your brothers are pretty awesome."

Cas glared at him. "Try living with them."

" _You_ don't even live with them!"

"I used to. They may be friendly with you, but being the youngest was a nightmare. Lucifer and Gabriel pranked me mercilessly whilst Michael took up position as mother hen. They treated me like the baby of the family because mother and father wanted nothing to do with me and all my friends used to laugh because they never left me alone."

Sam chuckled. "Better that than not caring about you at all."

Cas turned away to continue fixing his outfit, but Sam caught the barest hint of a smile lighting his face.

"I suppose."

When the pair were suitably dressed, they made their way out of Cas' apartment to the old Prius parked outside.

They arrived at the venue nearly an hour later; a grand house modern enough to be owned by a younger generation, but too elegant to belong to a fresh-faced university graduate. Not that Cas himself belonged in that category, but it was obviously the parents who had done the decorating.

Sam whistled appreciatively. "You had some rich peers, Cas."

The older man hummed quietly, but otherwise said nothing. The younger Winchester wasn't accustomed to luxury, having come from a family who couldn't afford much due to the father's drinking problem and constant moving states. The house seemed like a palace to him.

Lucifer, Michael and Gabriel had arrived and Gabriel was already surrounded by three beautiful girls and two rather handsome men, all of whom were gazing at Gabriel as if he held the secrets of the universe.

Lucifer had a drink in each hand, both very brightly (but differently) coloured as he chatted amiably with a pretty blonde girl who may or may not have been looking for a bit of _'fun'_. Michael was hovering close by and whilst he was chatting with a posh-looking man, his eyes were constantly flitting back to his brother's figure.

Cas shook his head in exasperation before ambling off to the kitchen to retrieve Sam and himself a drink.

Two beer bottles, eight conversations and a quick escape from a drunken brawl later saw Sam and Castiel chatting idly in a corner of the dining room, a little away from the rowdiness of the main room.

That's when everything went wrong.

A distinctly English voice called Castiel's name and the youngest Novak paled.

Sam raised an eyebrow in question and a short, black-suited man strolled over, eyes glinting dangerously in the dim lighting.

"Castiel, darling. I haven't seen you in years. How have you been?"

"Crowley," greeted Cas tightly and Sam stiffened. "I thought you were in hiding?"

Crowley's smirk slipped for a second before he plastered that sickeningly fake grin back on.

"I thought I'd catch up with a few old friends before I continue with _business._ "

Sam didn't like the vagueness of the word 'business' and he shifted slightly closer to his friend, in case the need to defend him arose. Castiel seemed grateful if the way his hand twitched toward Sam was anything to go by.

"How's that going?" Asked Castiel, with a hint of bitterness in his tone and Crowley smirked once more.

"Excellent." Sam shivered at the underlying meaning. "Now... how's my dearest lover doing?"

Castiel's teeth grit together and Sam bit back a growl.

"Fine until you showed up," muttered Cas.

He was taken off-guard when Crowley suddenly stepped into his personal space and even though he was much shorter than Castiel, his presence was intimidating and the youngest Novak gulped despite himself.

A warning lit Crowley's eyes and Sam had no doubt that his 'friends' were watching them.

"You better watch that tone, Novak. We wouldn't want a repeat of last time, would we?"

Cas' mouth drew into a thin line. "Of course not."

Sam was about to snarl a response of his own when Cas' hand gripped his and he bit his tongue.

Crowley took a step back. "That's a good boy," he said in such a condescending way that it took all of Sam's will power not to give him a right hook to the jaw.

"Nice speaking to you," murmured Crowley and just before he turned away, he dragged Cas towards himself by the collar and pressed their lips together in a harsh, painful-looking kiss.

Sam fumed, a boiling anger more intense than anything he'd ever felt before burning in his gut and this time he really did push Crowley away with a firm shove to the shoulder.

The Englishman looked ready to get his henchmen to deal with Sam, a thick, threatening scowl on his face, when he caught Cas' expression from the corner of his eye; one of shame and embarrassment, mixed with disgust and fury. 

Crowley smirked and saluted Sam lazily before sauntering off, aiming a wink at Castiel, his job done.

He disappeared into the throng of party-goers and neither Sam nor Cas saw him again. 

Sam had half a mind to drag Crowley back in to the room and put him in his place in front of everyone, but one glance at Castiel's uncomfortable expression put an end to that train of thought.

"Come on, Cas. Lets get you out of here."

Sam took his friend's hand and gently pulled him to another part of the house, dismissing his worried brothers with a wave of assurance, before he took the older boy up the stairs and into one of the bedrooms.

He locked the noise of the party behind the door and his face fell when Cas curled into himself on the extravagant double bed.

He took a seat next to his friend, relishing the sound-proofed atmosphere and wrapped a supportive arm around Cas' shoulder.

His friend leaned into him and Sam's heart did something funny then. It seemed to speed up as if enjoying the small gesture. Sam passed it off as being glad that he could offer some form of comfort to the older man.

"Cas? You okay?"

There was a long pause in which Sam thought he wasn't going to receive an answer and he was happy to let the other boy tell him when he was ready, but then Cas sighed deeply.

"I hate how he has so much control over me after such a long time. I'm still terrified of him and I thought I was past all that."

Sam squeezed his friend gently.

"To be honest, I don't even know him and I'm a little intimidated by him. You spent eight months with the guy; you have every right to be scared of him. You did well not to flake out on the spot."

Cas looked down at the carpet, feet swinging slowly in an attempt at distraction.

"He kissed me. In front of everyone. Just to embarrass me; show everyone how weak I am. I couldn't even push him away. You did. I couldn't defend myself against him because I was too scared of what he did to me last time. How pathetic is that?" He closed his eyes. "Mother and father were right. I am an idiot. An abomination to humanity."

Sam snarled and forced Cas to look at him.

"No, you're not. You're not weak; you were playing safe. If you had said anything against him, his drones would have been on you before you could blink. You did the right thing. And I'm still struggling to believe that you answered him back the way you did. That was brave. He hurt you, hospitalised you and you had enough courage to sass him in that way of yours. Most people couldn't have done that. They would have been terrified."

Cas looked ready to protest, but Sam cut him off.

"And yes, he kissed you and you didn't stop him. If you had though, the police would probably be here by now and you would be on a stretcher being carried out into an ambulance." Sam huffed at the remembrance of the way Crowley had claimed Cas' lips; so dominant and aggressive, a way to hurt him one last time. His chest tightened in pure anger. Crowley would pay if Sam ever caught sight of him again.

"He must be one sick psychopath to mess with someone like that. Making out with his ex just to scare them. He's twisted! I swear, if he ever comes near you again, I'll wring his pale little..." His rant trailed off when he noticed the way Cas was staring at him. It was a strange look; one filled with awe and appreciation and Sam was once again struck by how beautiful his eyes were. Sparkling pools of blue glistening in the sunlight.

The silence between them was deafening to Sam's ears and he felt the need to fill it with the first things that came to mind.

"You're the kindest, most caring man I know, Cas. You could have anyone you want and they would be lucky to have you. You don't need Crowley. You can do so much better than him. You're sweet and soft-spoken and you have a heart of gold. The way you're so patient with children and that little smile you get when you're with animals would make anyone desperate to have you. I've only known you for a year and even I can see that there is no way Crowley deserves someone as amazing as you. Forget about him, Cas. You don't need him and you never did. If people knew you like I do, you'd have hundreds of people asking to court you. You're such an interesting person."

They gazed at each other for a few tense moments and Sam's brain was racing a mile a minute, but the thought at the forefront of his mind was the realisation of how close they were to each other; so close in fact, that Sam could feel the warmth of Castiel's breath meeting his own lips.

Before Sam registered what was happening, Castiel's soft lips were on his own and a tongue gently swiped across his bottom lip, asking for permission. Brain not functioning properly, Sam quickly allowed the tongue entrance and his own danced with Castiel's slowly and tenderly. They tasted each other hungrily as they mapped out each other's mouths and Cas moved to straddle Sam's lap as his hand tangled in a mop of chocolate hair. 

Sam hummed in approval and his back hit the mattress as Cas pushed gently at his chest. They licked inside each other's mouths and Sam's hands roamed over Cas' strong back. 

When Cas' hand moved to undo his shirt buttons, Sam's brain caught up with the situation and his eyes widened as he shoved Castiel off him.

Cas seemed startled as Sam scrambled away from him, hands flattening out his shirt as if to remove the evidence of what they'd just been up to and the older man tilted his head in no little amount of hurt when Sam ran a panicked hand through his ruffled hair.

"Sam-?"

"I'm not gay!" Half-shouted Sam, eyes wide and stressed as his chest heaved.

Cas couldn't deny that the rejection was painful and Sam briefly felt guilty at knowing he'd put that expression on his friend's face. Still, he was straight and Cas was most certainly a guy.

"I'm not... Cas, I'm... I'm straight. I can't... I can't do this with you. You can't expect me to," said Sam, breathing balancing back out.

Cas frowned. "I'm not forcing you to do anything. Pardon me for thinking you were enjoying it when you moaned into my mouth."

Sam scowled. "That's not fair. You kissed me. Don't act like a victim. You know I don't do guys."

Cas' frown deepened. "The way you were talking, I thought that's what you wanted. You spoke about me as though I was your crush. You were the one to deepen the kiss. You could've pulled away but you didn't."

Sam's face flushed. "I was surprised! Some guy you hate starts sucking on your face and I didn't like how nervous you looked. Excuse me if my mind was on other things than your mouth."

Cas snorted. "Oh? So you were thinking about me? That's what was distracting you?"

Sam huffed. "Don't be sarcastic with me. You know I'm straight yet you still kissed me!"

Cas crossed his arms, though it was obvious he was upset and maybe even feeling a little guilty.

"I'm sorry, alright? I wasn't thinking and you were saying some wonderful things about me. You're so much better than the other people I've courted and I just couldn't help myself. I'm sorry."

Sam looked away. He didn't want to fight with Cas. The man had already been through so much tonight. He didn't even know why he was putting up so much of a fuss; the truth was, he hadn't actually minded Cas on top of him, but his brain seemed intent on reminding him that Cas was a male, like him. If Castiel was a girl, Sam would have had no problem letting the night continue. Truth be told, Castiel was a perfect match in Sam's opinion, apart from the fact that he had the same parts as Sam did himself. They complimented each other in every way, from their personalities to their tastes in food, but Sam's brain couldn't get past the part that Cas was a man.

"It's... it's okay," admitted Sam finally and now he felt guilty for causing Cas so much confusion.

The way his friend looked at him at that; eyes full of question and pain and shame, with so many more negative emotions, prompted Sam to gingerly sit back beside Castiel.

"Truth is... I like you, Cas. You're my best friend and we have so much in common and you're there for me when I need you and you'd be perfect... if you weren't a guy. I just... I can't. I've never done it before. Never did it in college and never done it anywhere else. I don't know how and I'm frightened of regretting it afterwards. I have nothing against anyone else who does it... but... I just can't bring myself to do it."

Cas slowly uncurled his legs and arms from their positions tucked into his body.

"How do you know you'd regret it? Maybe you'd be surprised. I was."

Sam eyed him carefully, but Castiel's face was full of honest curiosity and Sam began to wonder if maybe he should rethink his ideas.

"I suppose I don't. I just... I don't get how it would work. Doesn't it feel weird?"

Cas let a tiny smile light his face. "Depends what you consider weird. If you're attracted to someone, you tend not to think about it. You just want to be close to each other and it's the same for any gender. If you're a considerate lover, you want to make the other person feel good and that's all that matters, not how you do it."

Sam considered this. That... actually sounded pretty intimate. Not awkward at all. Still, for some reason, the though of being with another man scared him. What if he hurt Cas, or if it felt wrong and Cas didn't like it? 

Suddenly, Sam realised that all of his reasoning involved pleasing Castiel. _Huh._

Cas must have been a mind reader because he edged a little closer to Sam.

"You said you've never tried it before? Well, technically we are at a high school party. Would you... would you like to try with me? If you don't like it, we never have to speak of it again and you can ignore me or we can carry on as if it never happened if that's what you want?" Cas' voice was hesitant, unsure and Sam gulped at the weight of the question.

"Why? Why do you want me to do this with you?"

Cas glanced away. "I... I find myself falling for you, Sam. I want to know if there's any chance, any chance at all that you and I could have a future together..." he trailed off and Sam took the opportunity to gaze at his friend.

He wasn't blind; Cas was rather gorgeous. Soft tufts of raven hair, a lean body and the most amazing eyes made Cas desirable to most people. Combine that with a golden-hearted personality and a gravelly voice that sent shivers down even the toughest of spines and Castiel was practically everyone's dream guy.

Sam chewed on his lip in thought. Could he do this? Could he 'experiment' with his best friend without ruining their relationship? 

Cas glanced up at him, baby blue eyes filled with hope and no little amount of fear.

Sam made his decision. He leaned forward and gingerly captured his friend's lips with his own.

Cas made a small noise of surprise, but quickly got with the programme. They kissed softly, breaking apart every so often to breathe and to ensure their kisses remained short and sweet. 

Cas made no move to deepen their kisses and Sam was glad that his friend seemed content to let him state the pace. 

Cautiously, he cupped Cas' cheek, ensuring his friend couldn't pull away too far. The older man leaned into the touch and Sam couldn't help but shift a little closer, his other hand moving to rest on his friend's hip. 

When Cas didn't push him any further, Sam dared to lick at his friend's bottom lip, scratchy stubble feeling odd on his chin after being so accustomed to soft, feminine skin.

After a few more tentative licks, Castiel finally allowed Sam entrance and Sam took notice this time when they licked inside each other's mouths.

Castiel tasted like nature; countryside and mint all mixed into one and the younger man decided he rather liked the sensation of Castiel's warm breath mingling with his own.

Cas slid a hand around the back of his neck and Sam felt the need to be closer to his friend, so he carefully tugged the shorter man closer and Cas pulled back, obviously surprised.

They stared at each other for exactly three seconds before Sam pulled Cas into his lap and the older man wrapped both arms around his neck as Sam put two large hands on his friend's waist.

They mouthed hungrily at each other, enjoying the taste of one another and then their hands were roaming over skin and hard, toned muscle. 

Wordlessly, they scrabbled up the bed, Cas gently pushing Sam back against the pillows and Sam felt a brief flicker of panic before Cas' mouth was back on his and he forgot about his fear and they made out leisurely, in their own time, too busy relishing the new sensations to bother about ridding each other of their clothes.

Their breathing was heavy as they explored one another and Sam mewled in pleasure when Cas sucked at his throat. He thought it would feel odd, having another man on top of him, but it wasn't. Having Cas touch him as if trying to please him made Sam feel wanted, needed and he tried to return the favour.

It took him a few seconds to build up the courage, but he did and he squeezed his friend's rear playfully. 

Castiel's resulting groan was more arousing than Sam thought possible.

The younger man repeated his performance, a little firmer this time and Cas moaned deeply. Sam decided he really liked that sound.

"Sam..." breathed Castiel and Sam claimed his lips once more, slowly becoming more confident in trying to please his friend.

"Yeah?" He teased and Cas hissed when fingers grasped at his hair and tugged experimentally.

In response, Cas' hips rolled against Sam's and the younger Winchester's eyes widened, panic flooding his systems.

Cas noticed immediately and lifted his hips.

"We're taking this at your pace, remember? I won't do anything you don't want me to."

Sam steadied his racing heart and took a deep breath. He could do this. He wanted to. Cas wouldn't hurt him and there was nothing to be afraid of. If he didn't like it, they could just go back to being friends and they wouldn't have to bring it up again. If he _did_ like it... well... 

Cas had paused and was staring down at him in concern.

"Sam? Are you alright?"

Sam blinked and nodded.

"Yeah, I just..." he trailed off, deciding action was more effective than words.

He rolled his own hips and Cas gasped in shock before capturing the younger man's lips once more.

Cas rutted against Sam and the taller man decided they'd been teasing each other long enough.

He tugged at Cas' clothes and the older man silently fulfilled Sam's wishes.

They slowly rid each other of their clothes, Cas scraping his nails over Sam's strong back and Sam had the urge to get closer, to lean into the touch and also beg for more. He didn't feel ashamed like he thought he would. He realised how much he wanted Cas; to please him, to touch him, to make him feel as wanted as he made Sam feel.

"Gorgeous," breathed Cas when Sam was finally free of clothes and the younger man tugged his head down for another kiss.

When Cas' hands slid down his body, nearing his hips, Sam stilled. He didn't know what to do. How would this work? Would he disappoint his friend? Would Cas get bored of him?

"Relax," whispered Cas and Sam immediately obeyed the gentle, yet commanding tone. 

"We'll go slow. I promise. I want this only if you do."

Sam released a breath he didn't know he'd been holding.

"I want this. Really," assured Sam when Cas looked ready to move away.

Castiel grinned and kissed him sweetly on the lips.

Sam smiled back and Cas kept to his word.

 

* * *

 

A little while later, Sam woke up, the low thump of a bass still resonating through the floor and the younger Winchester realised the party downstairs was still in full swing.

A warm weight made itself known on his bare chest and Sam glanced down to find Cas' head resting on his bicep, one of the older man's arms lying possessively over his stomach.

Sam felt a warm, protective feeling blossom in his chest and he curled his arm a little tighter around his friend.

Cas nuzzled into his chest and Sam's heart swelled with pride at the fact that he could make Cas feel safe enough for him to sleep beside him.

On an impulse, Sam nosed at his friend's hair and Cas' eyes fluttered open. He stretched and glanced up at Sam with a satisfied smile.

"Hello, Sam."

The younger Winchester grinned. "Hey."

Cas propped himself up on one elbow, one hand still curled around the younger man.

"So?" He asked, but his voice betrayed his worry.

Sam smirked and pulled his lover down for a long, slow kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has been in stored on my iPad for over a year and I have nowhere else to put it so... here you go, I suppose.
> 
> Don't forget, if you have any requests, I'm all ears. :)

**Author's Note:**

> Would anyone like any of these to turn into real fics? Most of them are just ideas that pop into my head and I have to write them down; that's why they may seem bitty in parts. If you have any prompts or ideas you want me to write, just write a comment and I'll see what I can do. :) 
> 
> Happy reading


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